Portsmouth Water swaps crumbling HQ for swanky new offices despite massive backlash
The green light has been given for Portsmouth Water’s new headquarters despite the plans attracting more than 700 objections.
The water company is planning to build a new two-storey office at their “spiritual home” in Havant.
Members of Havant Borough Council’s planning committee approved the proposal for land north of Solent Road, next to Bosmere Medical Centre.
The majority of objections centred on the impact the development would have on the GP surgery and pharmacy, particularly during the construction phase.
However, councillors supported the recommendation of planning officers to grant the application at a meeting on Thursday, June 26.
Portsmouth Water chief executive Bob Taylor said the scheme had been 10 years in the making, but the company had an association of more than 160 years with the proposed site.
The committee heard the land was adjacent to the springs which provide a third of the firm’s drinking water supply.
Mr Taylor said the existing headquarters nearby off West Street was “crumbling”.
He added that being able to move to a new office base would release the existing building’s land for housing.
“For us, being still in our spiritual home is really important to us and there aren’t many other options in Havant and we want to stay in Havant,” Mr Taylor said.
The plans included “significantly” widening the access road from Solent Road, which currently serves the medical centre, and felling seven trees which are subject to a tree preservation order.
Car parking around office building would exceed council’s standards to avoid overspill, the committee was told.
Bob Comlay, who was speaking as a volunteer patient representative on behalf of the medical facilities, said the medical centre was not “merely adjacent land”.
“ It is a large operational primary care facility, directly affected by the proposed access route,” Mr Comlay said.
He told councillors there were “shortcomings” in the transport assessment, which needed to be resolved.
Mr Comlay, who questioned elements of the planning process, asked the committee to defer their decision so outstanding issues could be addressed.
Ward councillor Philippa Gray said it would be great for Portsmouth Water to have a new headquarters and for land to be freed up for housing.
“However, many residents have raised concerns, especially around safe access to the GP and we really should not overlook this,” Cllr Gray said.
“As a patient I can testify that that car park is always very busy. It is quite challenging to use.”
The committee was told the access arrangements had been subject to an independent road safety audit, which raised no safety issues with the operation.
Cllr Michael Lind, who proposed approving the application, said investment in the pedestrian crossing and widening the access road would improve safety for those attending the medical practice.
Traffic problems, loss of mature trees and the impact on the community facilities in the GP surgery were all reasons to reject the scheme, Cllr Jason Horton said.
Cllr Jonathan Hulls said: “I think the main issue here is the access and it’s clearly going to be a huge issue during construction.
“I don’t know how that’s going to function during construction and it will be an issue ongoing, but the point has been made if the access was somewhere else it would be interfering with other accesses on the other side of Solent Road and probably take more trees out than this one does.”
Cllr Simon Hagan said the number of objections was “really high” and this needed to be taken into consideration.
The medical practice had been a victim of their own success, leading to growth over time, Cllr David Keast said.
He added: “This should not however I believe affect Portsmouth Water’s right to develop their own site and their access.
“The access has been widened, doubled almost, bar about half a metre.
“We are assured that the splays are adequate and that the access to the site is adequate.
“I don’t want to blame Portsmouth Water because I don’t think they should suffer because of this.
“It’s not their fault. It is the fault of nobody. It is just the success and the need for this sort of service in the area.”
The application was approved with seven votes in favour and one against.