Fawley power station developer 'on track' for homes decision in April

THE company behind the redevelopment of Fawley power station with 1,500 new homes says it is on track for a decision by the end of April.

The consortium leading the near-£1bn scheme, Fawley Waterside Ltd, claimed to have made “significant progress” amid a recent agreement to delay the scheduled deadline on whether to approve its outline applications.

As reported in the A&T, a decision due this month was pushed back over a string of sticking points, including major environmental concerns, raised last year by New Forest District Council and the national park authority.

Both bodies have parts of the development within their jurisdictions and are currently considering joint outline applications. If approved, details will still have to be confirmed later before any work can begin.

A Fawley Waterside Ltd spokesperson said in a statement it was planning to make a “comprehensive resubmission” in response to requests for more information, and was cooperating with NFDC and the NPA.

She said: “Significant progress is being made with the local planning authorities and the statutory consultees – Hampshire County Council/Environment Agency/Natural England/RSPB – in terms of narrowing the issues around the outline planning applications.

“Fawley Waterside Ltd expects to make a comprehensive resubmission in due course addressing all points raised since the first consultation which ended in July 2019.”

The consortium expects this resubmission to be the last before the plans are considered at committee by councillors and NPA members.

“We are not clear on dates at this stage but this will become more apparent as we get responses from the local planning authorities,” the spokesperson added.

Issues raised by local authority planners include the impact of the £8m upgrade of eight junctions on the A326, plus mitigating pollution from the new homes and their impact on marine habitats, and how quickly new nature sites could be delivered.

As well as 1,500 new homes, the project includes a 2,100-space underground car park, 102,600 square metres of new commercial, civic and employment space, and a boat stack. A new primary school could be built if there is enough demand.

Also proposed is public open space, a saltwater lagoon and new wild grazing land. Among the new dwellings would be about 470 affordable homes.

What do you think? Write to the Advertiser and Times via letters@adt.press.