[February 2023]
Havant Council’s bid for a £20M share of central Government’s ‘Levelling-Up’ fund, to enable regeneration of Havant Town Centre, has been turned down.
Key parts of the plan included knocking down the west side of the Meridian Centre and reinstating an open-air pedestrian thoroughfare from West Street to Elm Lane; and a new corner building on Elm Lane to house the library, shops and residential flats. The bid also allowed for replacing the damaged and dilapidated railway footbridge.
Phil Munday, local Councillor for St Faiths, comments:
‘This was a very well thought out scheme, and it is a real pity that the Council – and our MP – were unable to secure funding for it. It is also a pity that there appears to be no ‘Plan B’! There remains an urgent need to replace the railway bridge and to provide active support for the town centre, but we are no further forward.’
‘Huge costs of officer time are put into these funding bids at a time when councils are not well financed. The Government must return to proper annual funding for capital projects. Part of the bid was to replace the railway footbridge, which is in a shocking state. This is the responsibility of Hampshire County Council and I will continue to press hard for action on this.’
