Daedalus
A lot of work has been done by a great many people to plan Lee's strategic future, and in particular, how best to use the land and buildings of HMS Daedalus.
There have been reports that the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will be taking ownership of 90% of SEEDA's land-bank by March 2012 and some people have suggested this will include Daedalus.
We have tried to obtain confirmation of the position and have been told by SEEDA:
“As part of our plans for closing down, we submitted our recommendation to Government on 31 January 2011 to set out options and proposals for the sale or transfer of our land and property assets. The principles underpinning our recommendations to Government were based on achieving local economic growth as well as contributing to the national deficit reduction.
Following further guidance from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills we have been revising our original options. We are now working with Government, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and local partners to agree an alternative framework which will further economic development in the South East. The new plan will involve increasing the economic and realisable value of our estate by tackling infrastructure and decontamination issues at a number of sites; generating receipts to carry out this work through selling some development sites that are ready to go to the market; and working with HCA and local partners on transferring some of our assets by March 2012. All of our sales will be carried out in line with Regional Development Agencies standard practices, as per the RDA Act”.
The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), set up to encourage and help business in the area, has elected Doug Morrison as its chairman. He takes up the role alongside his position as Director of ABP Ports Southampton. The LEP board consists of 8 local business leaders, 5 council leaders and a University Vice Chancellor. Doug Morrison is reported as saying he was, “totally focussed on delivering results.” He sees his role as chair of the LEP board as critical in making sure that business and local authorities in the Solent Region are all pulling together in the same direction. The good news is that Daedalus has been declared an Enterprise Zone within the Solent LEP. This will help gain access to future funding for infrastructure.
Assuming the HCA acquires Daedalus we are led to believe that the Solent LEP expects to receive delegated authority from the HCA to promote and oversee the development of the Daedalus site for aviation and marine sectors in accordance with the various local authority planning instruments and the SEEDA Masterplan.
Following public consultation SEEDA have now submitted their outline planning applications for Daedalus airfield to Fareham and Gosport Borough Councils. Consultation officially runs to 19th July but in view of the size of the application it is unlikely to go to GBC’s Regulatory Board until the Autumn. In practice GBC will usually take comments up to the day before the hearing.
We will keep you updated via our website and articles in the Advertiser.
At the time of the Hampshire County Council elections there were a lot of statements made about housing on Daedalus.
The current situation is a follows – 500 houses were included in the local Gosport plan. 300 of these were approved to be built as Ministry of Defence Housing leaving 200 available for the rest of the Daedalus site. Of the 300 MoD houses, 148 have been built. As the planning permission for the remaining 152 recently expired the MoD applied for it to be renewed but this was refused by Gosport Borough Council. We understand that the SEEDA outline planning application includes 200 dwellings. Graham Burgess, the deputy leader of Gosport Borough Council, has stated that no more than 200 dwellings will be allowed on Daedalus.
LoSRA continues to support the creation of jobs on Daedalus and will resist large-scale housing development. It is now over five years since SEEDA acquired the site and only now have they submitted an outline planning application. We hope that rather more urgency will be seen in identifying developers and making full use of this valuable area than appears to have been the case in the last five years.
My name is Jock Thompson and I'm a resident of Lee as well as a director of an international business based at Haslar. The potential for the Gosport area, and for Lee in particular, has always been a gift and a handicap. We have some of the most beautiful countryside and coastline - and some of the biggest transportation problems in the country. I'm interested in the social and commercial developments at Daedalus for many reasons - because of its impact on the local roads, employment, schools and provision of health services especially after the closure of Haslar. I would be very interested to receive your comments Click here