Bulldozing and rebuilding of Havant industrial site reignites traffic congestion debate from frustrated locals

The vacant industrial site at 8 Downley Road was previously occupied by commercial air-conditioning manufacturer Dunham-Bush, which employed 87 people.

It is part of the New Lane industrial area and is next to the railway line and 1.5 km away from Havant train station.

At a meeting this week (February 20), Havant Borough Council’s planning committee granted permission for applicant Mr Hughes of Royal London Property Fund to demolish the existing buildings and redevelop the industrial site.

The application reference APP/24/00606 is to build a single metal clad industrial building, split into three units which can have a flexible set of mixed industrial uses along with offices, car parking, yard areas, soft landscaping and associated infrastructure.

There will be 136 parking spaces, including 5 per cent disabled spaces, according to Havant Borough Council rules, the development requires between 105 and 209 spaces, so there is a significant shortfall in parking provision, said the officer’s report.

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There will be electric vehicle charging points for cars with solar panels on the roof of the building to offset 20 per cent of the energy demanded by the building. There will be 60 cycle parking spaces and six motorcycle spaces.

But the main concern raised at the hearing was bad traffic in the area becoming even worse with the extra vehicles heading to and from the development. Locals said roads have been a lot busier after the Amazon depot opened at 32 New Lane.

Two objectors speaking at the meeting, Bob Comlay on behalf of residents and ward councillor for Leigh Park Central and West Leigh Sharon Collings, said locals were worried.

Mr Comlay said there is an “unregulated increase in traffic” as Amazon drivers are flaunting rules that “remain unchallenged and unmanaged”, impacting the lives of residents. He said Crossland Drive and New Lane are used as a “rat run”.

He said during Amazon’s depot’s planning application, there were specific routes that the online shopping giant’s articulated lorries and van drivers were going to use. He said instead, drivers at the 24-hour-a-day warehouse are using navigation devices that find shorter routes which take traffic through the centre of town and down residential roads.

He said the new application’s transport assessment actually hides the potential increase in traffic of 500 additional daily traffic movements and does not decrease traffic.

Cllr Collings said she was concerned the Downley site would add to the traffic congestion. She said no one was enforcing the rules and suggested installing cameras to monitor the situation and try to alter driver behaviour through enforcement.

Councillor Jonathan Hulls (Green, Hayling West) said maybe a fund that developers pay into could be started to buy ANPR cameras as more applications like this come forward.

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He said: “It is very important. Something needs to be put in place so residents are not inconvenienced. At some point, we need to start managing the traffic situation properly.“

Councillor Jason Horton (Lab, Leigh Park Central and West Leigh) said: “We need to be good neighbours.”

The planning officer said that the applicant could not be expected to foot the bill for ANPR cameras, and it was for Hampshire County Council to sort out.

The developer will contribute £50,544 to make transport improvements in the area, including: bus stop improvements along Bartons Road, signage, pedestrian and cycle improvements around Crossland Drive/Petersfield Road junction and paving improvements.

Councillor David Keast (Con, Cowplain) asked that pressure be put on Hampshire County Council, who are in charge of traffic. The council’s solicitor said it could not be done by the planning committee but should be pursued through other channels.

The three units are 2,045 square metres with two loading bays, and one at 3,301 square metres and 3,577 square metres with three loading bays each.