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Date submitted

6 August 2026

Submitted by

Interested party

Conflict with the Gosport Local Plan The proposed development would have significant implications for the ongoing peninsula regeneration programme. Its height, scale, security infrastructure and institutional design are incompatible with the Local Plan’s focus on heritage-led redevelopment. Several major regeneration projects are progressing nearby, including Fort Blockhouse, Royal Hospital Haslar, The Piggeries and the Haslar Gunboat Sheds. Loss of housing opportunities Gosport is a peninsula town with limited viable development land. The IRC site was previously proposed for 225 homes, including 40% affordable housing. Permanently losing this land would prevent future regeneration proposals of this kind and significantly reduce Gosport’s ability to meet housing needs and Government targets. Redacted documents Extensive redactions prevent residents and local planners from properly assessing key assumptions, including those relating to transport and travel plans. The Gosport peninsula is already supporting several major heritage-led regeneration projects; Royal Hospital Haslar alone is expected to accommodate 1,200 residents. With further nearby regeneration at Fort Blockhouse, Fort Gilkicker, The Piggeries, the Gosport Gunboat Sheds and QinetiQ, the application does not demonstrate that Fort Road or the wider Gosport network can accommodate the additional traffic generated by the IRC expansion. Noise and disturbance The Planning Statement confirms that detained people may arrive at or leave the facility at any time, including those released on immigration bail. This 24/7 operational activity would significantly affect nearby residents, who could be only a few metres from the site if the IRC is fully developed. Continuous operational noise, together with additional vehicle movements and transport demands, would place further pressure on a peninsula neighbourhood. The plans include four three-storey accommodation blocks, each approximately 12 metres high. These buildings would be materially taller than the historic barracks and nearby homes, creating a dominant visual presence. This raises serious concerns about privacy, loss of light, visual impact, and harm to the setting and character of the conservation area. Healthcare assessment Although the application acknowledges that local NHS services would need to provide treatment, it does not appear to include a robust assessment of the additional demand on services already under significant pressure. This omission is material.