Gosport Borough Council has resolved to approve plans for the restoration of the HMS Daedalus waterfront naval base at Lee-on-the-Solent.
The regeneration scheme has been put forward by the joint venture between Patron Capital, MurrayTwohig Developments and Orwell Real Estate, who were selected by Homes England as development partners for the site last year.
In recent years the base, which played a crucial role in the development of the modern navy and on D-Day in June 1944, has been largely dilapidated, with the important historic assets awaiting viable reuse.
The Daedalus Development Company intends to deliver 24,500 sq m of new, modern employment and industrial space, 5,200 sq m of commercial space for new businesses, 346 new mixed-tenure homes – 76 of which will be refurbishments of the existing heritage buildings including the historic barracks square – a public park, a world-class visitor attraction at Seaplane Square and The Hovercraft Museum.
The World War One hangars that face the Solent will act as a gateway to the project and provide an upgraded home for The Hovercraft Museum and a new public space for local events and activations.
David Twohig co-founder of MurrayTwohig Development and CEO of Daedalus Development Company, said: “This approval marks a significant milestone for Daedalus Waterfront, one that will ensure the site’s future while bringing the energy and buzz back to Daedalus. Central to this project is a sense of community pride, and it has been great to witness so many people eager to learn about our plans.
“The public consultations have seen over 800 people come and share their memories and experiences at this historic landmark, which have been key to guiding our vision. Working alongside the council, community and historic experts, these first phases will allow us to continue applying our hard-earned experience in preserving heritage, bringing community benefits and developing successful places to make this much-loved site a vibrant and productive asset for Lee-on-the-Solent and wider region.”
Cllr Peter Chegwyn, leader of Gosport Borough Council, added: “This is great news for the Gosport area. The Daedalus development will provide much-needed new housing and jobs, and also has the benefit of saving several historic buildings and bringing them back into use after years of decay. We look forward to working closely with the developers as they progress the project.”
Simon Dougall, head of disposals at Homes England, said: “Daedalus Waterfront benefits from being part of the Solent Enterprise Zone, with rich history, heritage buildings and wonderful location on the Solent. With the variety of expertise within The Daedalus Development Company, and the support of Gosport Borough Council, we’re pleased to continue with this exciting partnership to help realise their vision to create a great place to work, live and enjoy for the local community and visitors.”
Kevin Cooke, senior partner at Patron Capital, added: “We have a track record of delivering mixed-use regeneration schemes that add significantly to their surroundings. Key to this is working in collaborative joint ventures, which bring diversity of thought and experience to achieve the best possible result. The approval of Deadalus Waterfront is an exciting opportunity to leverage this expertise and work alongside industry-leading partners to deliver a milestone project in the UK.”
