A practical sequence of proposed steps for Havant.
Short, medium and longer-term stages describe what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Costs, funding and powers must be established before adopting a proposal.
Proposal
Build on places residents can already use
Elizabeth Road’s play area has reopened.
Havant has a completed local example alongside larger schemes still in preparation.
Who could lead: Havant Borough Council.
- Start now — proposed
Check that access, maintenance and equipment work for children with different needs.
- Next steps — proposed
Use feedback and repair records to improve the site and inform other play-area designs.
- Longer term — proposed
Publish usage and upkeep costs before claiming a lasting health benefit.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Council reopening update, July 2026.
Measure: Repair turnaround, accessibility feedback and observed use.
Trade-off: New equipment needs continuing maintenance; opening day is only a first test.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Waterlooville: accessible play area →
Proposal
Keep Havant and Waterlooville accessible during works
Havant’s railway bridge is deteriorating, while Waterlooville’s precinct has accessibility barriers.
Residents need safe everyday routes during construction as well as better places afterwards.
Who could lead: Hampshire County Council and Havant Borough Council.
- Start now — proposed
Publish accessible diversion routes and a clear contact for problems before each work stage.
- Next steps — proposed
Coordinate bridge works, market relocation and shop access with transport operators and businesses.
- Longer term — proposed
Compare the finished routes with the original barriers and publish remaining access problems.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Approved bridge project and the Waterlooville FAQ.
Measure: Step-free routes available, closure days, complaints resolved and post-opening access audit.
Trade-off: Railway access and limited construction space constrain the timetable; maintaining access may add cost.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Waterlooville: London Road improvements →
Havant: replacement railway footbridge →
Proposal
Turn vacant land and shops into useful places
Bulbeck Road has enabling funding and a housing proposal; Havant also offers help to reuse empty shops.
New homes and active premises could bring more everyday use to the town centre.
Evidence
Who could lead: Havant Borough Council with housing and business partners.
- Start now — proposed
Publish the housing mix, design choices and remaining funding decisions for Bulbeck Road.
- Next steps — proposed
Test delivery partners and rents or sale prices against local need, alongside shop reuse.
- Longer term — proposed
Track occupied homes and trading premises, not just demolition or grant awards.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Housing form and total build funding remain to be decided.
Measure: Homes occupied by tenure, vacant shop units and full project spending.
Trade-off: Housing viability, parking changes and construction disruption need a clear public trade-off.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Havant: Bulbeck Road housing site →
Proposal
Protect delivery across the borough
Leigh Park sports facilities, Hayling Oyster Beds and Emsworth’s pavilion have allocations, but completed benefits are not evidenced here.
A borough total can hide whether its different communities receive useful improvements.
Who could lead: Havant Borough Council and delivery partners.
- Start now — proposed
Publish named leads, scope and milestones for Front Lawn, the Oyster Beds and Emsworth’s pavilion.
- Next steps — proposed
Report spend and delivery separately for Leigh Park, Hayling Island, Emsworth, Havant and Waterlooville.
- Longer term — proposed
Review maintenance and nature outcomes after work is complete.
How to judge progress
Starting point: February and March 2026 infrastructure allocations.
Measure: Milestones met, accessible sports sessions, habitat condition and maintenance funding.
Trade-off: Money allocated to one place or purpose cannot be assumed available for all other borough needs.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Emsworth: recreation-ground pavilion refurbishment →
Leigh Park: Front Lawn sports facilities →
Hayling Island: Oyster Beds restoration →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,151 a month (August 2026) in Havant council area. This is £308 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9% in Purbrook to 16.1% in Havant St Faith's — a gap of 7.1 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Havant St Faith's and Purbrook; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £1,151 a month (August 2026) in Havant council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 9% in Purbrook to 16.1% in Havant St Faith's — a gap of 7.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 12 of 12 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Havant: Bulbeck Road housing site →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
24.3% of people in Havant council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 13.4% in Leigh Park Hermitage to 38.7% in Hayling West — a gap of 25.3 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Hayling West and Leigh Park Hermitage; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 24.3% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 13.4% in Leigh Park Hermitage to 38.7% in Hayling West — a gap of 25.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 12 of 12 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Havant council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.7% in Cowplain to 7.6% in Leigh Park Central & West Leigh — a gap of 3.9 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Leigh Park Central & West Leigh and Cowplain; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 5.6% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.7% in Cowplain to 7.6% in Leigh Park Central & West Leigh — a gap of 3.9 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 12 of 12 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
26.5% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Havant council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 13.8% in Emsworth to 28.3% in Leigh Park Hermitage — a gap of 14.4 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Leigh Park Hermitage and Emsworth; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 26.5% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 13.8% in Emsworth to 28.3% in Leigh Park Hermitage — a gap of 14.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 12 of 12 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Waterlooville: London Road improvements →
Havant: Bulbeck Road housing site →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Havant council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
7 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Emsworth: recreation-ground pavilion refurbishment →
Waterlooville: London Road improvements →
Havant: Bulbeck Road housing site →
Havant: replacement railway footbridge →
Leigh Park: Front Lawn sports facilities →
Hayling Island: Oyster Beds restoration →
Waterlooville: accessible play area →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 11.8% in Emsworth to 31.3% in Leigh Park Central & West Leigh — a gap of 19.5 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Leigh Park Central & West Leigh, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 11.8% in Emsworth to 31.3% in Leigh Park Central & West Leigh — a gap of 19.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 12 of 12 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Emsworth: recreation-ground pavilion refurbishment →
Waterlooville: London Road improvements →
Havant: Bulbeck Road housing site →
Havant: replacement railway footbridge →
Leigh Park: Front Lawn sports facilities →
Hayling Island: Oyster Beds restoration →
Waterlooville: accessible play area →
