GOSPORT SOCIETY NEWS & UPDATES
3rd OCTOBER 2024
Dear Gosport Society Members,
Since the appeal for assistance with the administration of Gosport Society, Mike Williams has kindly offer to assist in producing the News Letters and News Update, which is very much appreciated.
More positive news has also been welcomed, Fiona Meridith has also volunteered to organise our monthly speakers meetings, this kind offer has been gladly accepted, we are currently reviewing a venue and programme of speakers talks will be provided as soon as possible.
Also, thanks to Fiona, Nancy, Diane & Darryl for their kind offer to spend time at the proposed stand at The Michaelmas Fayre, unfortunately this was not possible due to lack of male help in erecting the Gosport Society Gazebo.
To progress the activities of Gosport Society, we would welcome members to suggest suitable projects or events that we could be involved in, for approval of the Executive Committee at their next meeting.
Proposals as mentioned in the Autumn Newsletter were declined at the last Executive Committee meeting. (High Street Alleyway Signage & Dr James Lind Plaque) It would be great to have a project to concentrate on.
Enquires received by Acting Hon. Secretary.
Gosport Waterfront.
An invitation was received from the GBC ‘Consultants’ who held an exhibition at The Discovery Centre, inviting the general public to make their opinions to new concepts for public art and interpretation on the towns waterfront. See the GBC Web site www.gosport.gov.uk Gosport Waterfront.
The Executive Committee forwarded their individual comments to our Planning Secretary, who has collated a responded from Gosport Society. See Planning News Section for the Gosport Society response.
#LETSCREATE (Arts Council England)
Simon Jutton part of #LETSCREATE, contacted two members of Gosport Society who attended the viewing of GBC viewing of the Gosport Waterfront Exhibition as mentioned previously. Contact was made to Gosport Society to ascertain if we would be interested to discuss an idea of a flight simulator that would involve flying over and around military defences that appeared in 1865. It certainly sounds interesting, an initial discussion has not taken place as yet, we will report back when further information is available.
Bastion No1 – Town Crier
Fiona the Town Crier from Petersfield, contacted us to report she has donated her hire fee (£50.00) to Rosemary Foundation a stay-at-home hospice service. It was very generous of her to make this donation. Those who attended ‘The Treaty of Peace’ signing, will agree Fiona’s performance helped make the event ‘special’.
Trevor Bran. An enquiry was received from Trevor relating to bus conductor ticket machines. We have referred Trevor to the Provincial Bus Heritage Group, that would be more an appropriate connection.
Local News – Stokes Bay Sea Defences – section completed, open for car parking! – congratulations to the contractor, site left very
Smart and tidy.
.
GOSPORT SOCIETY – PLANNING CONSULATIONS
Copy of Gosport Society’s response to GBC ‘Gosport Waterfront Feedback.
THE GOSPORT LINES – CONSULTATION
23 September 2024
Q- What do you like about The Gosport Lines as a concept so far?
This has been a long-term policy in of the Borough Council for many years. It forms part of the Gosport Waterfront and Town Centre SPD Policy published in March 2018. This evolved from the Gosport Millennium Project in 2000.
The idea to celebrate Gosport’s waterfront is an excellent one and we look forward to the realisation of this long-term project.
We understand that a significant proportion of the existing waterfront is privately owned and access is difficult to negotiate with owners but there have been some successes where public safety does not prevent public access such as Royal Clarence Yard, parts of the Gosport Premier Marina and in future, via the Rum Store.
We would like to see the proposed new footpath links opened as soon as possible including Royal Clarence Yard to Waterside Medical Centre, via the Rum Store and Rape Quays.
Q – What would you improve about The Gosport Lines as a concept?
The name is fundamentally misleading.
The Gosport Lines is the title of one of the Gosport Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) projects undertaken from 2019 to 2023.
The Gosport Lines specifically refer to the defensive fortifications of Gosport during the nineteenth century.
The initial fortifications were developed earlier, after the English Civil War.
See also added locations below.
Q -Do you think the concept recognises and celebrates Gosport’s heritage while also boldly looking forward to our future?
Strongly Disagree.
Q- What do you think of the suggested locations for interventions?
Many of them already exist and are celebrated to various degrees of public accessibility. We would like to see them improved as well as linked up with high quality pedestrian routes with well-maintained information boards and a route map.
Haslar Marina and Pier may not have any specific historic significance but the bridge over Haslar Lake does as it provided access to Haslar Hospital, Haslar Barracks and of course the magnificent Haslar Hospital.
Haslar Blockhouse is called Fort Blockhouse.
Cont.,
Q -Are there any locations that you think should be added?
The Gosport Waterfront stretched from Hardway to the Ferry and then to Stokes Bay and ends at the Hovercraft Museum in Lee-on-the-Solent.
There are ‘radiating tributaries’ that lead to it including The High Street and Stoke Road, Bastion No. 1 Lines to Priddy’s Hard, Bastion No. (Diving Museum) 2 to Fort Brockhurst.
The following should be added: Henry Cort Site, King Charles II Fort Site, Falkland Gardens at The Ferry. Trinity Church, Bastion No1, Gosport Gunboat Yard, Haslar Sea Wall Walk, Haslar Hospital, Former Royal Naval Research Establishment, Haslar Barracks, Fort Monckton, Fort Gilkicker, Institute Of Naval Medicine, Gosport Lines At Stokes Bay, Battery No.2, Lee-on-the-Solent Seafront, Viewing Site of Schneider Trophy Races, Hovercraft Museum.
Demographic: Please indicate by selecting below if you are providing feedback about The Gosport Lines as either a resident, as a local business, on behalf of a community group or other.
Community Group
Q- Would you like to hear more about the project or be more involved in the future? Add your email address here to receive updates as these projects develop.
Contact The Gosport Society are the secretary@gosportsociety.co.uk or planning@gosportsociety.co.uk
END OF GS Response.
Article by Mike Williams
Not all Planning is about buildings. This application by a Gosport resident concerns an Oak tree presumed to be causing damage to the owner’s property. And some Planning news can be good for some but not so good for others. That seems to be the case with the Oak tree outside this lady’s house in Gosport. She thought the tree was causing damage to her home but the Gosport Planning Committee were not so sure and refused permission for it to be cut down. The chair of the panel, Steve Hammond reminded us of the disappointment when a sycamore tree cut down near Hadrian’s wall. The Committee concluded that there is “insufficient evidence” to chop down a fully grown oak tree. The Committee also note that Gosport has limited tree cover.
Ed. I might add that removal of the tree will have some effect on the soil in a way which might also cause damage to local structures. Here’s an opinion of a surveyor.
“There are situations where tree removal is not a solution due to the possibility of heave. Large trees significantly predating and near a property … may cause more or new damage to a property if removed.”
As we will not be meeting for Presentation here’s some interesting extra bits to end this newsletter:
Quiz architectural object: As the Gosport Society regards the many of our buildings as important, we should know what we are looking at! What is this part of a building called; usually built on the roof or over a door or window.
Military History – Sea Words: Taken from Mike Williams book of the same name: One phrase that causes a lot of debate is “It’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey”. I can reassure you all that this saying has nothing to do with animals. It refers to a pile of cannon balls stored on brass cradle called a monkey – not sure why. The idea is that if it is very cold the different metals of the brass cradle and iron cannon balls with shrink at different rates and the projectiles will tumble off. On HMS Warrior the cannon balls are kept separate on wooden shelves or brackets so they do not freeze together in one big lump.
CURRENT NEWS
Haslar Barracks (Haslar Immigration Centre)
A letter of complaint from Gosport Society has been forwarded to The Home Office concerning the lack of good building practice at the redevelopment of the site.
During our visit to Royal Haslar 5th June, a photograph was taken of all the roofs being stripped of the existing roof coverings (slate).
The roofs had been covered with breathable roofing membrane, a recent replacement for bitumen felt. Since then, no attempt has been made to complete the roofing works, leaving the inadequately protected roofs from the weather.
Subsequently, see photograph of 28th September, the roofs have not weathered the wind and rain, causing damage to the roofs structure and degradation of internal finishes.
Rob Harper our former GBC Conservation Officer, successfully organised the site to be a Conservation Area, as it is the first brick-built army barracks in the UK.
We await a response as the Chairmans opinion is that someone is not doing their job correctly, on a contract that has been awarded to Galliford Try Ltd in the Sum of excess of £100M.
Why are the roofs left unprotected?
Gosport Society News Updated Team 3rd October 2024.