Havant Civic Society

14/09/2026

This talk, on Friday evening, 18 September at The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, begins with the HCS Editor's introduction to the world of work in Havant as a 15 year old kid in 1967.

Fifty six years after the speaker collected his first week’s pay at Kenwood, this talk explores how employment across the borough has evolved over the past century. It reflects on the Havant-made products that remain valued and in use around the world, and revisits the period when Havant stood at the centre of global trade – it's a story of continual change that still shapes the borough today.

Free of charge and you might actually find it surprisingly interesting!

For over forty years, Havant sustained an exceptional concentration of technological skill, from Kenwood’s precision engineering to IBM’s rapidly…

14/09/2026

There are a lot of events coming up in Havant over the next few days, with the overlapping of the Eco Arts Fest and the Havant Heritage Festival. Saturday evening's programme highlight is 'Festival Night - Folk & Jazz!' with some of the best local musicianship on offer and a licensed bar provided by 'From B**r to Eternity'. Tickets are still available so do take a look at this post:

Buy tickets for Kenekt's upcoming events. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now!

06/09/2026

There are not one, but two festivals happening in Havant over the next couple of weeks, There's plenty to see and do for the whole family and best of all, virtually all of the talks, guided walks, music events and street entertainment is free of charge. Check out this post, below, for the details of what's on where, and how to book a place.

We have two festivals coming up welcoming residents and visitors to Havant Town Centre. Let’s hope for good weather and a good turnout. This year’s Heritage Festival will take place fro…

11/08/2026

Its good to see that the newly painted central road markings on Park Road South between Solent Road and West Street, now actively discourage drivers from crossing the flow of traffic to turn right into Burger King or right into Bulbeck Road.

24/07/2026

A little weekend reading if you're thinking about looking at the Local Plan - which is now published for consultation.

On 20 July, Havant Borough Council opens what is likely to be the last real opportunity for residents to influence the Building a Better Future Plan before it is handed to a Government-appointed Pl…

17/07/2026

Our cub reporter took a look at the new Banking Hub in Market Parade yesterday, rumoured to be opening this week.

Of the two post office sites, one on the east side of the precinct, the other on the west side, it's confusingly the one with the most obvious branding. (The difference being that you can't send parcels or pay your car tax in this one.)

Here's a summary of what we found out at the Meridian Centre exhibition stand last Friday, and from our visit yesterday.

Following the closure of Lloyds and Halifax branches in January, the new, temporary, Banking Hub is due to open in Market Parade sometime this week, current outlook Friday. There was a representati…

13/07/2026

As many of you will have seen from earlier posts, the Bloor Homes Southleigh application has now been validated and opened for public consultation. What you may not yet have heard is that Wednesday’s Full Council meeting is likely to trigger a second, simultaneous six‑week consultation on HBC’s ‘Building a Better Future’ Local Plan, starting Monday, 20 July.

These two exercises ask residents to wade through thousands of pages of complex planning material - just as the holiday season begins. And both quietly avoid confronting the issue that affects everyone in Havant: our increasingly overstretched road network.

Read this post for our summary, with links to the detailed documents and guidance on how to make your voice heard.

Over the next few weeks, Havant residents are being asked to do something remarkable: read, understand and respond to two of the most consequential planning processes this borough has faced in a ge…

06/07/2026

If you're interested in reading what the HCS team think of the Bloor team application documentation, click to read this post and see the detail. If you're struggling to get your comments into the new planning system, this post also offers a simple workaround.

Havant Civic Society has submitted a set of detailed, factual questions on the Environmental Statement and Transport Assessment supporting the Southleigh planning application (APP/26/00324, up to 1…

02/07/2026

A quick update on where things stand with this important Planning Application, including simple buttons to help you view the documents and make your own comments.

Following the January 2026 Development Consultation Forum, Bloor Homes’ outline application for the Southleigh site is now live on Havant Borough Council’s planning portal. For those wa…

30/06/2026

The Bloor Homes Southleigh Planning Application has finally been made public. If, like us, you keep an eye on the weekly planning lists, you might just start to wonder how many other important planning applications are being pushed through unannounced?

The Bloor Homes planning application was apparently received by HBC Planning Services on 12 May, and ‘validated’ on 3 June, almost a month ago. So some of you might be asking why hasn& #…