27 June 2008 - Around 700 New Homes for Rowner

It’s official, after eight months of successful engagement with residents and community groups in Rowner, the Rowner Renewal Partnership last night unveiled to the community the MasterPlan for the £140 million regeneration of the area. The Partnership also confirmed that around 700 new homes would be provided in the regenerated area - at least 30% would be affordable (for rent or shared ownership).

The MasterPlan illustrates what is going to be the basis of the planning application. Whilst there will be ongoing changes between now and the final submission, this is the scheme that the Partnership is proposing to submit. Continued feedback from residents and community groups is still welcome

The MasterPlan shows the proposed new layout of the regeneration area with the position of the supermarket and other retail units clearly indicated. There is a ten storey residential building in the centre of the community and a variety of residential housing and open spaces. Near the schools and community centre is an area for the annual Rowner Carnival and Christmas Carol event.

The elegant ten storey tower will be a marker for the centre of Rowner and meets the desire for an iconic building. The southern side of Howe Road has three low-rise apartment blocks and its grass bund with mature trees has been retained to provide security and an overlook to the proposed new cemetery.

The southern entrance to Rowner is also marked by new three and four storey gateway buildings with a number of small low rise apartment blocks at focal points at corners and ends of streets.

Flats and houses face Grange Road to create an attractive street frontage to the road. Nimrod Drive has been retained in its original position to ensure that the existing safe pedestrian route around the community centre and the school is protected. It provides the main northern entrance into the regenerated area. A new road provides good access for the community centre and the pub. In addition there is a tree lined avenue running the length of the new area and a number of Home Zones areas have been included in the MasterPlan.

At Siskin Junior School, around 100 residents, community groups and local businesses came to the MasterPlan Drop-In event. John Thompson & Partners (the Project’s architects) and the Rowner Renewal Partnership team members were there to explain the outline plans and details of the type of homes that will be available for the residents. It was the first time that people could see typical layouts of the types of homes available for affordable and private housing, the Plan’s phasing areas, ideas for landscape schemes and the height dimensions of the various buildings proposed. Team members were on hand to answer individual questions and people were given the opportunity for direct feedback via comment forms. Many local residents had individual meetings with Portsmouth Housing Association to discuss their desires to move into the first phase of the development. It was a positive, upbeat response. People were impressed at the information available.

Hazel Warwick, Group Regeneration and Development Director for Portsmouth Housing Association and Spokesperson for the Partnership said: “Our original Vision was presented back in December and following vital feedback from the community we showed our Illustrative MasterPlan in February. We have received enormous support from many Rowner residents and community groups here. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking them for providing such excellent feedback and for their high attendance levels at our events. Without their involvement, we could not have achieved so much and hopefully we have managed to incorporate most of what people have said to us in the design of the area.

“Our architects have produced a wonderful design and translated the community’s desires and hopes into a truly workable and inspiring scheme. Rowner Renewal is going to achieve our original mission of providing a long term solution by creating the kind of environment that people want to live in. There is better use of private and public space and better security by design for the area. Rowner will be a safer, more attractive environment and will be better suited to the needs of all sections of the community.

“For those people who were unable to make last night’s session we will be repeating it on Saturday morning in The Youthy. I look forward to welcoming everyone there. It is important to get everyone’s view before we go through to the formal planning application at the end of August.”

Cllr Miss Kim West, recently appointed councillor for the area and a resident directly affected by the proposal said: “The information we’ve received has been fantastic. The MasterPlan looks fantastic – I like the road through the middle and the fact that it is open to Grange Road, not shut away. It will all be opened up.”

Cllr Keith Gill, who launched the scheme in October, gave the following reaction to the MasterPlan: “I was Mayor at the time of the launch of the Rowner Renewal Partnership in October and I was excited then and I remain just as excited. I see this development as a flagship for the 21st century.

“If people still have concerns, they should go and discuss them individually with the Partnership.”

Proposed Timetable for the Rowner Renewal Project:

Planning Application: Late Summer 2008
Approval expected: Winter 08/09
Work starts on Phase 1: Spring 2009
Residents move into Phase 1: Winter 2009
Phase 2 area demolished: Autumn 2010
Demolish Phase 5 (high rise block): End of 2011
Project completes: 2016

During the Autumn 2008 detailed architectural drawings of the first phase of the development will be on display at various locations including the Nimrod Community Centre and Gosport Borough Council offices.

For further information about this project visit www.rownerrenewal.com
The Rowner Enquiry Line is open from Monday to Friday 9 am to 5pm.
Tel: 08450 343317