NEW FOREST DISTRICT COASTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FEBRUARY 2004
C10 Zone 10: Hythe
Prominent on the shores of Southampton Water, Hythe is an historic
settlement that has long-standing connections with coastal activities.
Originally a fishing village and ferry stage, it became a yachting base, and
then a centre for boat building and the development of flying boats and
subsequently, hovercraft. It was a focus of coastal military and industrial
activity during the Second World War. Today, there remain a boat yard, a
NATO base in active use, and an important ferry service between Hythe and
Southampton. Hythe centre is notable for its historic street pattern, Victorian
pier and the new Marina Village.
Features and interest
Description
C10.1
This zone extends from the Hythe Sailing Club/Sea Scouts hut on Shore Road up
to and including Hythe marina village. It includes Prospect Place, the Pier Head,
the Promenade, the Waitrose car park, the dwellings and the boatyard off St.
John’s Street, The Grove (now the Parish Council office), the new housing
developments of Sir Christopher Court, Sir Christopher Close, Lighterman Quay
and Britannia Gate, the NATO base and the sailing club.
Nature conservation
C10.2
This coastal section has been completely reshaped by human activity, resulting in
an artificially protected or stabilised coastline. There are no saltmarshes, and the
foreshore is composed mainly of mud and shingle. However, because of the
invertebrates and bird life it supports, the foreshore is of much nature
conservation value, and is included in the Hythe - Calshot Marshes Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is also in the Solent and Southampton Water Special
Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site, and the candidate Solent Maritime Special
Area of Conservation (cSAC).
Prospect Place viewed from Hythe Marina
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NEW FOREST DISTRICT COASTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FEBRUARY 2004
Flooding and Erosion
C10.3
For the frontage between Hythe Sailing Club and Hythe Marina, the Shoreline
Management Plan recommends a ‘hold the line’ strategy. The coastal defence
policy options for Southampton Water will be reviewed through the second
round of the Shoreline Management Plan process.
C10.4
The majority of Hythe centre lies within the area considered by the Environment
Agency to be at risk from flooding. There is occasional flooding at Prospect Place;
the seaward edge of this area is also suffering slow but continuing erosion and
the adjoining foreshore level is falling. The erosion is partly due to the wash
produced by large vessels approaching or leaving Southampton port, and it has
been suggested that an extension of the vessel speed limit southwards towards
Calshot would reduce this problem.
Hythe centre
C10.5
At present the built waterfront at Hythe comprises a varied array of residential
with some industrial and military developments, together with some open spaces
and opportunities for public access. Although the village centre and built
waterfront lie adjacent to one another they are not well related at present.
However, the current Hythe Promenade Improvements Scheme, when completed,
will considerably improve the linkages.
C10.6
The compact centre and parts of the waterfront are in a designated Conservation
Area. Principal features of the historic core include the street pattern, still
defined by 18th century buildings, the waterfront, in particular the pier, and the
remnants of the large houses and cottages whose gardens ran down to the
water. The pier is a prominent feature of the waterfront. Built in 1879, it is
about 650 metres long, and contains a narrow gauge electric railway which runs
its length, providing a link to the Hythe - Southampton ferry which docks at the
end.
Hythe Pier
C10.7
The Conservation Area contains the only remaining boatyard in Hythe, which lies
off St. John’s Street. This is still active, and the glimpses of it that can be gained
from various points in the centre contribute to the character of the area.
C10.8
Also in the Conservation Area, the garden of The Grove, an older building on St.
John’s Street formerly occupied by BMT and now the offices of the Parish Council,
is an important feature of the waterfront. It contains mature trees, and provides
another point of public access to the shore.
C10.9
South of the centre lay the former industrial sites of BMT and Dreamland/ArnoScholl (now redeveloped with housing), parts of which are also included in the
Conservation Area. They provide some limited further access to the waterfront.
C10.10 The adjoining NATO ship repair base is owned by the Ministry of Defence, who
maintain the various quays, slipways and pontoons. No public access is permitted
into the base or to the shore.
C10.11 South of the NATO base, the sailing club and Sea Scouts premises occupy the
remainder of this zone. The District Council as landowner has constructed a small
rock revetment in front of the Hythe Sea Scouts club to protect it from coastal
erosion.
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NEW FOREST DISTRICT COASTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FEBRUARY 2004
Hythe Marina Village
C10.12 Outside the Conservation Area to the north-west of the centre, the Marina Village
is a residential marina development built on reclaimed land just to the north of
Prospect Place. Community benefits secured through the development include
public access to the waterfront with excellent views to Southampton Water,
public launching facilities, and associated parking.
Hythe Marina village
Access
C10.13 Apart from the Marina, the existing main points of public access to the
waterfront from the centre are the open space at Prospect Place and the
Promenade. The open space at Prospect Place is an attractive, grassed area,
offering access to a small, shingle beach. It is dominated visually by the Pier Head
development, especially Hotspur House. The Promenade is currently undergoing
a significant programme of improvement works to enhance its use as a
pedestrian activity space and to capitalize on fine views of Southampton Water.
The works also seek to create a new pedestrian link from the northern end of the
Promenade to the interchange area at the pier head. In terms of recreational
uses, this zone offers sailing facilities in the form of the slipway at Hythe Marina
Village, and the Sailing Club and Sea Scouts activities.
C10.14 The public slipway at the marina is a popular launching site for recreational craft.
This can create some problems of noise disturbance to residents of Marina
Village; however, the slipway is an important part of the scheme.
Commerce
C10.15 Economic coastal activities on the waterfront are now limited to the boatyard
and ferry. There also remains some light industrial activity on the small
promontory behind Hotspur House.
Local Plan
C10.16 The District Local Plan includes most of this zone within the built-up area of
Hythe. There are policies for coastal sites at the Dreamland/Arno-Scholl (now
substantially implemented), the Pier Head and the ferry ticket office, and
proposals for environmental improvement and footpath links in places including
the Promenade. Important criteria in formulating these policies have included
the need to improve the appearance of the waterfront and public access to it,
and enhance the relationship between the centre of Hythe and its water
frontage. Supplementary Planning Guidance has been prepared for Hythe
Waterfront and implementation is progressing. The local plan also shows the
Conservation Area, and the area at risk from flooding.
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NEW FOREST DISTRICT COASTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FEBRUARY 2004
Issues
Environment
C10.17 Much of Hythe waterfront is in need of environmental improvement, in
particular through landscape schemes. The District Local Plan identifies the
Promenade and the Pier Head as areas in particular need of environmental
improvement and schemes in parts of these are now being implemented. It also
requires high standards of design on all the waterfront development sites, and
although the results have been somewhat mixed, recent schemes are now
achieving higher standards.
Development
C10.18 Redevelopment of sites at Dreamland/Arno-Scholl has had a substantial impact on
the character and appearance of the Hythe waterfront. Any redevelopment of
the Pier Head as proposed in the local plan would likewise have a considerable
impact on this area. Criteria for these developments are set out in the Hythe
Waterfront Development Brief.
Access
C10.19 Public access to the waterfront at Hythe has been surprisingly limited. The District
Local Plan identified a number of opportunities for improving and extending
footpaths, in particular on the redevelopment sites, which have been
implemented in part. It retains a proposal for a new pedestrian connection
linking the western end of the Promenade to the Pier Head area by the ferry
ticket office.
Coast protection and flood defence
C10.20 A low-key protection scheme, to maintain the seaward edge of the Prospect Place
amenity area, was completed in 1995. There is a need to continue monitoring its
effectiveness.
Actions
In Zone 10, the District Council will:
Z10.1
Z10.2
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seek to implement remaining proposals and improvements identified in the
development brief for Hythe Waterfront including:
•
the redevelopment of sites at the Pier Head;
•
environmental improvements at the Pier Head and the Promenade;
•
an improved ferry ticket office;
•
a new pedestrian connection between the Promenade and the Pier Head.
continue to monitor the coast protection works undertaken at Prospect Place
and at the Sea Scouts premises off Shore Road.
Statutory Nature Conservation Designations
Site of Importance for Nature Conservation
Dibden Bay
Environmental improvements
Solent Way (existing)
Shoreline, Mean High Water
Z1.3
Z10.2
Southampton Water
Zone limits
Z10.1
Z10.2
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This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown Copyright.
Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. New Forest District Council Licence No. 100026220 2004
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