by A security guard and his Alsatian patrol the former Royal Navy arsenal, behind the tall rusty barbed wire fence that separates the beach and its walkers from the deserted site. Many of the buildings used during the Cold War are lying and forgotten, weeds growing high among cracks in huge paving slabs and piles of rubble; the only splash of color from a bright red canister of gas tossed aside behind a decrepit caravan.
This is Fraser Range, an 11.4-acre former MoD site on the south-east of Portsea Island in Portsmouth, which developers hope to turn into 134 new homes ranging from one-bedroom flats to six-bedroom houses. Overlooking the sea with your back to the fence it is easy to imagine this site in its life, but now it is exposed, grim and an eyesore – with a very unusual problem.
To the north is Fort Cumberland, an 18th century Grade II military site, on the edge of the Fraser Range, and to the west is Southsea Leisure Park, much loved by locals, many of whom come from the estate housing built on old munitions dumps across the country. road
But to the south, just meters from the buildings now ready for a makeover, is Eastney Beach, which has been frequented by naturalists for over 70 years. And it is the regulars with this short piece of shingle that could cause the developers, Orangestar Capital, one of their biggest obstacles.
This week, nudist David Stares spoke of his fears that new naturists will push complaints away, saying he and his friends will have “nowhere to go”.
And it’s abundantly clear as you walk along the beach that upmarket property development isn’t the same as nude sunbathing made in heaven. In fact, the recent confrontation between the naturalists and the developers has encouraged the locals to express their feelings on the matter.
“I don’t have a problem with nudists per se,” says Portsmouth-born Katie Mathias, walking dogs along the beach with her father, Philip, an ex-Navy officer, “but if I lived there it would bother me look out of my kitchen. window while you’re cooking and see something inappropriate.”
Philip, 65, agrees. “I know the naturists are worried about being pushed out, but I think it is much more important to solve the housing crisis in this country than to preserve a nudist beach. Huge areas of old MoD sites are derelict and the sooner they are sold and developed the better. But let’s face it – you’re not going to spend a million pounds on a property overlooking a nudist beach.”
Although the developers have declined to increase the price of any units on the proposed site, none will be affordable housing. Instead, the investment in the Fraser Range includes £9.5 million for a new sea wall and flood defences, £3.5 million maintenance of the beach and site for 100 years, and a coastal path around the entire peninsula, which is inaccessible under present, costing £1.8 million plus £800,000 for a hundred years of maintenance.
That’s cash for a project that people might be spending the sun exposing negatively. According to Rightmove, property prices in Hampshire are set to rise by 4 per cent from 2021 with seaside terraced houses on nearby Hayling Island fetching £466,250 on average.
But the presence of naturalists seems to affect property values. Beachfront property prices in the picturesque fishing village of Lower Largo, Fife, were reported last year to be 36 per cent lower than those in the surrounding area.
In Portsmouth, the sooner the nudist beach goes, the better, some locals say. Resident and retiree David has lived in Spithead Heights, just behind the Fraser Range and near Southsea Marina, for 30 years. “If the beach goes nudist it will be an advantage for me,” he says. “They intend to stick to their area but encroach too much on the non-nudist parts of the beach.”
David’s neighbor Nick, who has lived at Spithead Heights for 23 years, says: “Something needs to be done about the Fraser Range site, it’s a bone of contention, and we don’t care if the nudist beach goes. There are natural beaches in Gosport and Hayling which are not that far away.”
Orangestar Capital originally submitted plans to transform the Fraser Range in 2018. Proposals were due to go before Portsmouth’s planning committee this week, but were delayed to “resolve a number of issues with Natural England”, according to a company spokesman.
Theresa Merry, 36, and Katherine Campbell, 39, both pub managers who live nearby, said the developers had been very proactive in keeping locals informed.
“Years ago Orangestar Capital sent accurate plans to all the residents,” says Katherine. “We want to make sure Southsea Leisure Park is maintained, because it’s where everyone walks their dogs, but the infrastructure is also vital. There is only one road in and one road out of the peninsula, so although a redeveloped site will be more attractive, can the roads and parking compete?
“And we’re also concerned about the sewage system. There are two sewer pipes here and the constant spillage is the biggest concern. The stretch of beach on the other side of Fort Cumberland is sometimes covered in toilet paper.”
Theresa says that “no one misses the naturalists”.
“They’ve been here for the last 70 years and although most of them don’t cause any problems, sometimes there’s one standing exposed at the top of the path that children and families walk to and from the beach. It’s an unnecessary display and makes you worry that they might be a bit distorted.
“Also, the nudists don’t contribute anything locally – so if they’re so desperate to do that they can go to Hayling on the ferry.”
The local Southsea Beach Clean group meets once a month, every Saturday, to clean the entire stretch of sea front from Eastney down to the pier. “Our biggest concern of all with the development is the poor quality of water and sewage, as well as the impact of more cars in an area with poor public transport services,” says the group’s co-ordinator. Pete Fincham, 50 years old.
“The developers have promised to contribute to coastal protection and beach management, and the site is a bone of contention, so on the surface it doesn’t seem like a bad thing. In a city of 200,000 odd residents, no one talks about the nudist beach. We can no longer take our children into the sea because that side of the beach is where the sewage treatment works are, so cleaner water and better sewage management is much more important than some of the sun damage.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Orangestar Capital said Eastney beach is currently privately owned and there is currently no public right of way, “although this has not been enforced”.
With plans to introduce a circular route around the peninsula in front of Cumberland Dune for the first time in many years, he says, “it will improve the public’s rights of access to the beach and bring a huge benefit to everyone in Portsmouth”.
“Of course the new houses on the site will change the character of the place, but this will not necessarily prevent natural access to the beach”.
Regarding infrastructure, the spokesman says: “We are working closely with all the statutory advisors, and we can confirm that Portsmouth City Council’s Highways Department and those involved in sewage are not opposing the proposals. .
“We would make a £2.65 million contribution to local infrastructure as a result of the development… all in addition to local road improvement works, including the access road.”
