There is a proposal to relocate Havant Borough Council services to the Meridian Centre in central Havant and regenerate the underutilised brownfield Plaza site for social housing in a scheme named Elmleigh.
The Council owns the Meridian Centre where vacant space could adequately accommodate staff in a more central location close to transport connections and with a massive underutilised multi-storey car park.
Operating from such a location would bring service delivery closer to the public.
Initial outline proposals indicate that the Plaza site could accommodate around three hundred homes for social rent.
The objective is to provide innovative social housing solutions with high energy efficiency and low rent and running costs to give those waiting at the foot of the ladder a lift to the first steps towards eventual home ownership by accumulating equity from rents.
These could be let and managed by existing service providers.
A developer said “this idea is a no brainer”.