Havant Thicket: Detailed plans of how water reservoir embankment will look are unveiled

The Havant Thicket Reservoir site, developed by Future Water, is next to Sir George Staunton Country Park, Middle Park Way and is planned to come into operation in 2029. Having received planning permission in 2021, the reservoir will be able to hold 8.7 billion litres and will span 160 hectares with construction work well underway.

Portsmouth Water and Southern Water said the reservoir is needed to capture water that flows from Bedhampton Springs straight out to sea during the winter months as supply exceeds demand. The environmental mission is to rely less on rare chalk streams for water, such as the rivers Test and Itchen, by capturing excess water from springs in winter and storing it at the reservoir, Portsmouth Water, working with Southern Water, said.

The site is located to the north of Havant and split across two local planning authorities, Havant Borough Council and East Hampshire District Council. The site lies within a shallow valley between the residential settlements of Leigh Park and Rowlands Castle. It is predominantly open grassland with some woodland, hedgerows and ditches which is in the process of being developed for the new reservoir. The residential areas of Warren Park and Leigh Park lie to the west and south-west of the site.

The latest planning application, for reserved matters, relates to specific details of the main embankment of the Thicket Reservoir. With outline permission already granted, planners now have to decide on siting, scale, external appearance and landscaping.

The design of the main embankment provides a reservoir with capacity between 8,700 and 9,000 million litres, with a top water level of 39.5m above ordnance datum (AOD), otherwise known as above sea level, and a height of 40.5 AOD. The reservoir’s proposed embankment will be 20 metres high and 2,800 metres in length. The design includes a main embankment which is 25 metres minimum from the edge of woodland along the southern boundary of the site, known as Hammond’s Lands Copse – the embankment slope varying from 1:8 to 1:9.

Some design features include a viewing area along the western boundary of the main embankment. A staircase of tiered steps along the alignment of The Avenue will join the pedestrian access from Staunton Country Park with the viewing area at the crest.

In and around the embankment plans have already been approved to create facilities for resident and public use. This community hub will have; a visitor centre, visitor car parks for buses and cars, a cafe, picnic and children play areas, bird-watching hides, and a network around the reservoir of tracks, bridleways, cycleways and footpaths.

The wetland area will sit on the northern side of the reservoir for bird watching behind hides and screens along with public recreational facilities. The visitor car parks will have capacity for 193 cars, with 70 and 75 overflow car parking for staff, coach/minibus and disabled drivers.

In October 2023 residents objected to plans for a bridge or valve tower that is seen as a danger to residents with children living nearby who might venture out and to dive off it into the water.

The reserved matters application APP/24/00311 has an internal target decision date of July 18 to be decided by Havant Borough Council planners. No public comments have yet been received.