Land North of Lavant Drive, Lavant Drive, Havant, PO9 2AW

Description
The site comprises of an area of open, designated brown field land located on the northern side of Lavant Drive on the corner of Leigh Road, approximately 0.3 miles north of Havant Railway Station. The site formerly housed the Oak Park (Havant Comprehensive) school which closed in the 1980s.

Principle of Development
The site lies within the urban area as defined by Policies CS17 (CS) and AL2 (AP). As such the principle of development is acceptable subject to other material considerations. The site forms part of the mixed use allocation for housing, care home and community health uses on the Former Oak Park School site reference H69 (AP).

Planning
A pre-application has been lodged under site reference HA09 in the Council’s Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) with a potential yield for 21 dwellings.

Based on a site area of 0.548ha, a site yield of 21 dwellings would have an equivalent density of 40 dwellings per hectare which is consistent with the site’s assessment in the Council’s SHELAA. However, it should be noted that this may be a gross site area and the actual net developable area may be reduced.

The Council’s Five Year Housing Land Supply Update (December 2024) indicates the Council has 1.8 years supply with a 20% buffer applied. This is below the five year supply threshold, and as such there is normally a presumption in favour of sustainable development (para 11d of the NPPF). The tilted balance means that permission should only be refused where the adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.

Overall, it is considered that residential development of the site would be acceptable subject to the wider allocated site mix.

A copy of the Pre-app, the response and associated plans are available as part of the data room.

Location
The site is located on the northern side of Lavant Drive on the corner of Leigh Road, approximately 0.3 miles north of Havant Railway Station. Central Havant is just beyond the station, and the A27 a further 0.5 miles to the south.