‘Ditch the fort’, says Gosport MP
Bitterly slow progress over the future of a historic military fort has frustrated the local MP who is calling for it to be disposed of.
Dame Caroline Dinenage addressed parliament on Monday about the ongoing problems at Fort Blockhouse in Gosport. The site, which is thought to be the UK’s oldest fortification, was earmarked for disposal by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2016, and given a deadline of 2020, yet it still stands to this day.
Ms Dinenage, Conservative, said the fortification is a costly burden to her constituents and sought reassurances that no further delays would take place. Addressing James Cartlidge in the House of Commons, minister of state for defence procurement, she said: “The 2016 better defence estates plans earmarked Fort Blockhouse in Gosport for disposal. Here we are eight years later with numerous delays, and that site is still rotting at the taxpayer’s expense, doing nothing for the local economy, nothing for the local community and nothing for the MoD. Can the minister please update me when we will finally see some progress on that site?”
Mr Cartlidge, Conservative MP for South Suffolk, gave no deadline as to when Fort Blockhouse would be dealt with. He said: “I appreciate that she wants to see progress here. I would stress that while we engage as closely as possible with Gosport Council, and want to make progress, it is a very complex site. There are significant defence assets still in place with [Defence Infrastructure Organisation] DIO and also with the Royal Navy. I am committed to looking into what more we can do.”
Plans are in place for the fortification to be transformed into a “mixeduse development”, with consultancy services being invited to conduct a “modal shift transport study” in May 2023 to explore options for the area and its buildings. Gosport Borough Council leader Peter Chegwyn previously said the Fort Blockhouse site is due to be released in 2025, adding that he would like to see “a mix of residential properties along with marine employment”.
Fort Blockhouse was built more than five centuries ago, starting in 1431 until the mid1960s. It currently remains as the 33 military field hospital, under the 2nd Medical Brigade.
It also houses a branch of the National Coastwatch Institution, whose members act as lookouts over Portsmouth Harbour.