There are a myriad of reasons why the Hamble Peninsula is totally unsuitable for gravel extraction and should be dropped from the plans:

 
Traffic! If you have ever had the pleasure of visiting Hamble you’ll know that the one small B road in and out is already way over capacity with lengthy delays and huge queues. The proposed Gravel Pits would add 200 extra truck movements per day for the next 10 years! And also the top of Hamble lane and Portsmouth Road has been identified as an Air Quality Management Area (congestion is already so high that there are unacceptable levels of nitrogen dioxide). Also there is a huge development planned for Woolston that would house 1600 people and 600 workers and the main exit is out onto Hamble Lane!

 

 

Constant noise of excavation, processing and loading of lorries (including reversing beeps!) 10 hours a day, 6 days a week right in the heart of this important Historic Maritime Village that relies on tourism and leisure activities for local employment!

 

Risk of local flooding due to the already high water table.

 

Pollution to river – the lifeblood of the local area for local businesses, tourism, and leisure…would you keep your boat here if it takes hours to get down Hamble Lane only to find it covered in dust?

 

Proximity to local schools and services - Hamble airfield borders 2 schools, a college (an Olympic training Centre), multiple housing and a major Health Centre.

 

Effects on business and tourism - Hamble is an historically important village and the largest yatching centre in the UK, with over 4000 boats on the river.  Over 200 businesses employing 1800 people, rely on the hundreds of thousands of leisure users and tourists that visit every year.

 

 

 

Impact on nature conservation – both areas are close to Nature conservation sites

Conflicts the Regional and Local plans for the area – Hamble Airfield is a greenfield site and local gap with absolutely no plans for development whatsoever!

 

However, in removing the gravel from Hamble Airfield there will be a big hole and as they are saying that they won’t landfill this site it can only open the floodgates for Persimmon Homes the owners to get planning permission leading to a further 10 years of misery and 2000 Houses that would ruin this important Historic Maritime Village

 

 

And last but not least - The process for comparing the sites that led to the Peninsula becoming ‘Preferred’ is weak and fundamentally flawed.

 

Read the report to RAGE from independent experts Adams Hendry 

Download Executive Summary