Save Our Island Deputation

Also published on Havant Borough Council's website re Cabinet Meeting 01-7-20:

As the Cabinet meets to agree to recommend the pre-submission Local Plan to the full Council, we are duty-bound on behalf of the Hayling Island residents to reiterate our opinion that the Plan, in respect to Hayling Island, is incomplete. In its current form it does not satisfy the Government requirement that any development is accompanied by an economic and sustainable infrastructure. It was not the Government who told Havant Borough Council to build the 10,000 houses in the Borough, nor the 1,300 on Hayling Island. This was your decision as part of the PUSH structure to place a blanket target on each area rather than produce a strategic plan (a Garden City or Towns.) As a result, we have the cheapest option (to you) of filling in every open space with housing development on your stated objective “to leave no stone unturned.” You have also stated that this Plan should not be seen as some kind of limit or ceiling, and therefore you plan to continue development on the Island “ad infinitum” through leisure activities and housing.

The Transport Advisory and Addendum, as you know, has not been accepted by the HIIAG, Local Councillors, or the Scrutiny Board, but their views have been dismissed.

The Key Issues still stand:

• The TA uses an unaccountable 15-year plan horizon (now until 2036.) The NPPF says that a sustainable infrastructure should be established for the lifecycle of all development (80-100 years in this case), and any plan should also account for ongoing growth projections.

The TA does not increase the A3023 trunk capacity: in fact, even with the mitigation projects, the result is a continuing degradation in the single route capacity without looking at the future increases planned through any meaningful timeframe. Remember that there are no economic options to increase this flow/capacity limit of the A3023/bridge complex. The decision to forgo any flow/capacity analysis of the A3023 means that you, and more importantly, your customers (the residents) will have no way of knowing how your Plan will impact the sustainability of the Island’s infrastructure moving forward.

The junction changes proposed are estimated at £10.6m. This cost cannot be met with the developer CIL contributions. How do you intend to fund this infrastructure?

There is very little industry on the Island, and you are not planning any: therefore all the new residents need to travel off the Island every day for work.

• The tourism traffic-growth estimates are not clearly identified, neither are the consequences of potential changes in holiday habits (staycations, etc.)

• The Coastal Partnership are now engaged in the production of the first Hayling Island Coastal Strategy, due to be completed in 2022. The current EA projection shows approximately 50% of the Island area is Category 3 flood zone, based on the EA 1.4 mtr climate change tide-rise estimate. This limit will rise further as time progresses. We also know that 80% of the Island coastline does not satisfy the current Government protection cost/benefit ratio.

And at this very meeting you will be agreeing how to plan the continuing erosion of the seafront at West Beach, leading over time to the loss of leisure facilities, car parks and SSSI.

We would respectfully suggest that you need to see a realistic infrastructure Plan and the Coastal Strategy Plan before recommending this significant housing growth to the full Council. We have been told on numerous occasions that there will be further opportunities for review. However, HBC does not have any formal process audit function or schedule to ensure all of the issues are recorded, actioned and tracked, and be visible to the community.

Thank you for your attention.