Over the past eleven years, Hardway has born the brunt of the government drive to build more homes to satisfy their targets. Local councils have been ignored and hence the wishes of local people have been ignored by centralised un-elected quangos set up to override the wishes and opinions of local authorities.

We have seen the development of Priddy's Hard that changed completely the quiet and pleasant aspect of the ward and to a degree, this was accepted as necessary to provide much needed homes, Then came the additional homes built in the Heritage Area and the building of the large blocks of flats on the grounds of the old red house at 15, Priory Road.

Surely, Hardway has done its bit and could expect that the area be spared the further attentions of ever land hungry developers who will build on every green space without consideration for the people whose lives they are impacting?

Felicia Park is yet another example. Barratts submitted plans to build 43 new homes on the land, displacing the popular urban farm and destroying yet another green area when Hardway is woefully short of green open spaces.

Hardway councillors Roger Allen and Peter Langdon listened to the people of the ward's concerns and then did their utmost in representing the consensus of opinion that was opposed to this development.

In the local plan, Felicia Park was designated as land for community use, not housing and it was this factor that was the legitimate planning reason for the Regulatory Board of Gosport to throw out the plans submitted by Barratts to cover the urban farm with yet more housing.

Gosport Conservatives have made it clear that the borough needs employment and vastly improved infrastructure. This is made abundantly clear by the fact that 60% of Gosport people have to commute out of the town for employment along the dreadfully congested roads such as the A32, recognised as the most congested road in the South of England. Still we have no money for the much needed Stubbington By-pass.

Barratt appealed the Gosport Council's rejection of the plans and the matter was then decided by a Government appointed inspector who decided to overturn the local decision in spite of the clear designation of the land for community use and allow the development to proceed.

Yet again we see this Labour Government flying in the face of democracy, ignoring the wishes of local people and the expertise of local planners who have the knowledge to understand what is acceptable in our town and when enough is enough.

The fight to reduce the number of houses to be built on the site is now undertaken by Conservative ward councillors Roger Allen and Peter Langdon who are appalled at this decision by a government inspector who has no knowledge of Gosport and Hardway, but is tasked by government to support more homes that the area can sustain.

article posted 1 Dec 2009 by Roger P Allen