‘Impossible’ task as housing target is set
Council expected to build 3,344 new homes in borough by 2038
A COUNCIL has set out its housing plan for the next few years — but councillors have already warned they are being asked to do the impossible
Gosport Borough Council revealed its draft local plan for 2021 to 2038 in the economic development board on Wednesday.
The local plan sets out planning policies and proposals that helps the council address social, economic and environmental issues.
But Cllr Kevin Casey said that the government’s housing demands were unfair.
He said: ‘The demand for housing is the biggest issue, what the government expects us to deliver is what Gosport is incapable of delivering purely because we’re a peninsula and we’re 72 per cent built on already.
‘The government puts out a calculation on delivering what every council has got to deliver without taking into account the demographic of certain boroughs.
‘We have people commuting out of the borough which is a difficult thing to do — we need jobs but we’re expected to build houses.
‘As a starting document, it’s excellent, within the limitations of the size of the borough and the available land.’
Cllr Dawn Kelly said there was a lot of pressure to provide housing but felt the council needed to ‘build communities again’.
‘I feel we need social housing rather than private homes because there’s an awful lot of rental homes that are owned by people out of town.’
Cllr Jamie Hutchinson added: ‘Housing is going to be a major issue. We haven’t got that much land in Gosport nowadays so it’s identifying areas for housing and affordable housing.
‘I think Gosport is moving forward in the way of hopefully attracting tourists again by rejuvenating the high street area and the bus stop.’
Other issues have been identified such as climate change, an ageing population, low job density, outcommuting, congestion and health inequalities.
The overarching objectives are to mitigate the effects of climate change, develop homes and workplaces, capitalise on the borough's coastal location and improve transport links.
It’s expected that 3,344 homes will be built by 2038 with the requirement that 40 per cent are affordable on sites of 10 or more.
It is difficult. We need jobs, but we’re expected to build houses.
Cllr Kevin Casey