Planning White Paper Numbers Nov-Dec 2020
Three different, connected, issues underline the importance of residents’ individual, responsible, action. Everyone should have responded to the Government’s Consultation on Planning by the widely reported October 29th deadline. Havant Borough Residents’ Associations had informed our members to write to Alan Mak MP, rejecting the Government’s newly revised algorithm that would increase our ANNUAL housing allocation from 1300 to 2485! Even our Council’s current Local Plan’s excessive housing plans for over 1000 new homes, that don’t include 100+ annual windfalls, will build on every green space possible. This figure should have been based on “objectively based housing need” (NPPF 2015) but in reality Havant’s nationally allocated numbers were not questioned at local level: there is still no local demand for such an increase, so our already over-pressed infrastructure such as the A27, A3023, will be brought, more often, to a standstill with this radical increase in local transport overloading. Therefore why should we now believe that the Government’s new changes to Planning system will be based on “theoretical housing need in an area” (Alan Mak’s claim in his Response October 2020)? CPRE summarises key critical issues at stake: loss of local democracy in planning; missing provisions for real affordable housing; loss of access to green spaces. Visit their site:
HIRA alerted its members to the Planning paper’s proposed reductions in local democracy; contact us for details.
Both Hayling’s Community Centres need everyone’s financial support now, more than ever, if we are to protect their huge social benefits to us for the future. Remember: use it or permanently lose it! How to help?
West Town’s large, popular charitable Hayling Community Centre is desperately short of income and could close because its huge weekly events like weddings, festivals etc. were cancelled; smaller events continue but can’t replace 2,000-3,000 weekly visitors. Help with funding suggestions: iona@hicca.co.uk Tel. 023 9246 7545 or donate to https://peoplesfundraising.com/search, type in Hayling Island Community Centre.
Hayling’s Eastoke Community Centre still runs bingo, yoga etc. but still needs your events! Contact:
https://www.eastokecommunityhall.co.uk/ Tel. 023 9246 5263. Remember: these venues are irreplaceable.
Inconsiderate public behaviour affects everyone but is so easy to correct. Elsewhere even wealthy Knightsbridge is forced to use “noise cameras”, fining drivers ruining residents’ lives – nerves and hearing! – when “74 decibel noise threshold is exceeded”. For comparison, on Knightsbridge roads recorded sound reached 104db - equivalent to a helicopter flying nearby; summer nights reach 126db – the average level of a rock concert! (BBC 07-10-20) Let’s hope that our Council can find ways to encourage beach parties and drivers of all vehicles to think of others, reducing their noise, before having to resort to cameras and fines.
