Consultation

The Spring 2008 public consultation provided information to enable the local community, local organisations and other stakeholders to:

Take the opportunity to clarify understanding of the need for additional water supply in the Portsmouth Water area;
Raise issues and consider options in relation to the design, engineering and construction of the reservoir as far as they have been developed;
Participate in developing proposals for landscape, conservation, recreation, education and access; and
Put forward ideas and suggestions

An exhibition presenting the main aspects of the proposal was held between 8 and 18 March 2008 at Leigh Park (5 days), Rowlands Castle (4 days) and Horndean (1 day). The displays were then available to view for a month at the Portsmouth Water head office in Havant. Workshops with local schools and colleges were also held. Over 850 people attended the exhibition and more than 250 feedback forms were received.

Publi exhibition 2008b

Residents at exhibition in Leigh Park

HorndeanTC_workshop

Workshop at Horndean Technology College

The public response to the proposal for a reservoir at the exhibitions was generally very supportive, with the majority of people indicating that they viewed it as a potential benefit for the local area. The key concerns raised were:

The loss of existing habitat and potential impact on wildlife
Potential for increased traffic in residential areas
The need for adequate parking provision for visitors
Whether there would be any risk from flooding

These concerns are discussed in the summer 2008 Newsletter.

A community workshop was held on 29 March 2008. This was attended by 30 individuals with a balance between people from different local communities and varying interests, to discuss the issues being raised at the exhibitions in greater detail.

Consultation Strategy

The Strategy for Community & Stakeholder Involvement is available for download [0.86 MB] in PDF¹ format. The strategy was updated in November 2008.

The report provides a strategy for the involvement of the local community and other stakeholders during the process of developing the design for the Havant Thicket Winter Storage Reservoir, submission of the planning application and at the time of construction. The dates provided in the strategy are intended for guidance only and may need to be varied during the course of the project.

Consultation Report

The Autumn 2008 Interim Report on Community and Stakeholder Involvement [9.5 MB] is now available for download in PDF¹ format.

The report sets out the details of the consultation undertaken to date and summarises the feedback received from the Spring 2008 consultation exercise, including the community workshop. The report describes how Portsmouth Water has taken on board the feedback and includes a revised outline plan illustrating the range of features that are proposed to be taken forward.

An Executive Summary [8 MB] of the report is also available.

The Spring 2008 Public Consultation Document is available for download [5.64 MB] in PDF¹ format.

PLEASE NOTE Correction on page 8 of report: Figure 2.1 – words on left hand side of graph should read “Litres/person/day”.

Stakeholder Group

Given the breadth of issues involved in the scheme, it was clear that a Stakeholder Group of interested parties was required to help take the scheme forward from inception to completion. A Stakeholder Group was set up in December 2004 and its members have the following roles:-

To provide input and advice in respect of the scope of the various studies required for the scheme.
To provide comment on work carried out under the studies.
To help to ensure that all relevant issues are identified and addressed at each stage of the scheme.
To ensure that the views of the organisations represented by each Stakeholder Group member are taken into account as far as possible as the scheme develops.
To develop familiarity with the scheme as it evolves, to the benefit of the organisations represented by the Group members.

Contributions made by Stakeholder Group members are without prejudice to their formal comments on, and the outcome of, the planning application and other necessary statutory permissions.

Organisations represented on the Stakeholder Group are not required to contribute funds to the project. The primary commitment involved is the time and travel for the representatives on the Stakeholder Group. Portsmouth Water is very grateful to members of the Stakeholder Group for their time and the valuable feedback they provide.

The Stakeholder Group includes representatives of the following organisations, for the reasons stated:

Consumer Council for Water:
To attend as representatives of Portsmouth Water’s customers

East Hampshire District Council:
To represent the views of East Hampshire residents and to advise on the development planning aspects of the scheme.

Environment Agency:
To provide input in respect of the review of water resources, source yield, demand forecasting and ecology.

Forestry Commission:
To represent the forestry interests of adjacent land operated by the Commission.

Hampshire County Council:
To represent the views of residents and to advise on environmental mitigation and enhancement, recreation and integrated access provisions.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust:
To provide general advice in respect of ecology, flora and fauna including enhancement of habitats.

Hampshire Ornithological Society:
To provide general advice in respect of birds.

Havant Borough Council:
To represent the views of Havant residents and to advise on the development planning aspects of the scheme.

Rowlands Castle Parish Council:
To represent the views of the parish council and residents.

Staunton Country Park :
To represent the interests of the Park and its users.

Exhibitions

A public exhibition was held between the 8th and 18th March 2008. The exhibition set out:

the need for water, the ways in which we can help reduce demand, and the alternative means of supplying water to the local area;
our initial porposals for the reservoir, how it would work and be constructed; and
possible design layouts for the reservoir and a range of scenarios to provide for wildlife habitats, landscape settings, recreational and educational activities