Royal Haslar, Gosport

RPS was commissioned to support the planning proposals for the mixed-use redevelopment of the former Royal Haslar Hospital, Gosport, England. Rich in history and once the Royal Navy’s key hospital on the south coast, this significant historic site occupies the foreshore close to Portsmouth Harbour in Gosport and benefits from unrivalled views out to the Solent.

Designed by Theodore Jacobsen in the 18^th Century, the classical Georgian hospital building complex fist opened its doors in 1753 and after 254 years of military medical care, closed in 2007. The site was subsequently abandoned in 2009 and sold for redevelopment with many of the buildings falling in disrepair.

Solution

Working collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary project team, we developed the landscape masterplan and detailed proposals that were sympathetic to the historic layout and former use of the site whilst accommodating future planned land uses. Key to this was successfully integrating new built form within the historic fabric whilst respecting the historic setting and vistas.

Underpinned by extensive research, historic avenues, open space, gardens, vistas and building lines were respected and reinstated to provide a sensitive, cohesive masterplan.

Extensive discussions with English Heritage, the local authority and Garden History Society and public consultation events ensured that concerns were addressed, and that any development was sensitive to the site’s rich history.