Back to list

Date submitted

4 August 2026

Submitted by

Interested party

I object strongly to the expansion of the IRC in Fort Road, Gosport Hampshire. The planned development has expanded exponentially since its original use as an immigration centre. Gosport itself is a peninsula with years of traffic issues due to the layout of the borough. The IRC is situated in a peninsula within a peninsula and accessed by three pinch points. Haslar Brigde which is effectively one way, Clayhall Road where limited household parking again is single file making it effectively one way, and Fort Road with a very narrow pinch point and a small roundabout. This is all part of the last leg of the final peninsula after entering Gosport which itself is a peninsula. The infrastructure to allow transport of the local community to commute to work and education will be severely impacted by the predicted addition of 774 traffic movements to each day with staffing and day to day running of the centre. With this additional movement, this will also severely restrict any further investment into the area such as the much respected Fort Blockhouse which is an asset both historically and aspirationally for the future. Gosport is steeped in history with the most amount of heritage assets outside of London and also the highest concentration of veterans in the country. A borough with a village atmosphere, the introduction of the expanded IRC can be extremely detrimental to the day to day running of the town and the future of investment. The IRC had been previously considered in the local plan for additional housing which is much needed for local people with white space being very limited. Again I will highlight the peninsula. Gosport is surrounded by approximately 24miles of water. The loss of the IRC land for housing has only made Fort Blockhouse even more important for future development but could be hampered by the IRC using all infrastructure allowance. There is a very big risk of the residents within the centre being let out into the community and seeking homes where there is already a massive shortage of housing for people who grew up here. The inhabitants of the IRC are expected to be ‘convicted criminals’ who are a concern to the local residents. The prospect of them being let out in the community if they can not be returned due to lack of diplomatic relations with their home country or proof of where they came from is causing unrest within the local community. Residents are being trapped in their homes as unable to sell with fear of safety and uncertainty and how the infrastructure will cope. Mitigation for the site has not yet been achieved, HCC have serious concerns of the infrastructure. Local residents have not been heard or had input with their valid reasons for concern. The wider access to local airports and deportation methods is severely limited due to the peninsula and surrounding infrastructure. Gosport IRC site is not suitable for an IRC of this scale. Although the service is understandably a very important and necessary requirement to deport illegal immigrants, this is not an acceptable place.