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Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Helen Atkin (5th Aug 2004 - 15:54:08) Hi, I am currently purchasing a property on the housing development behind Sainsbury's in Liphook, and wondered if anyone could give me any information regarding what the land was previously used for before the houses were built. Our solicitor informs us that the 'environmental' search has shown that the land may be contaminated. I have contacted East Hants DC and they stated I could come in and look at the plans for the development, however as we live in Manchester this is not that easy! I can apply for details of the plans by post but they take over 3 weeks to come through and we are being pushed to exchange in the next week or so to be ready for the start of the new school year. Personally I cannot see that so many houses would be allowed to be built if there was any major sort of problem but would be really grateful if any one who lives locally could give us some advice. Thanks very much. Hope you can help. Helen

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Alex Cameron (5th Aug 2004 - 19:55:05) I bet Freddie will appear from his mystery hiding place to correct me on this, but wasn't it a military ordnance supply unit (OSU) base? 'Military' is deliberately vague as i can't quite remember whether it was Army or RAF. All i know is that it was there for years, and when i came back from Africa, there's a sainsburys' standing there!

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Paul Robinson (5th Aug 2004 - 23:02:55) As far as I can remember the site previously known as the OSU was operated by the Army and was used to store inert equipment like tents, ropes, uniforms. I think it was very unlikely that it would have been used for unpleasant pointy things that went 'BANG' so near to civilian domestic housing.

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Helen Atkin (6th Aug 2004 - 08:17:14) Thanks very much for your replies, put my mind at rest and we look forward to moving into the village Thanks again

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - S (6th Aug 2004 - 09:10:17) On the contrary Dr Watson, it was used during the war to make propellors and parts for aeroplanes I believe. There have been various suggestions in the past 20 odd years that it has housed things that go bang but noone ever knew for sure. I grew up backing onto it and although I walk with a limp, have three eyes, 1 tooth and talk through a hole in my chest I can say it didn't do me any harm. Gribbit....

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Steve Read (6th Aug 2004 - 17:31:56) Dear S, Yes you are correct, my business used to deal with the OSU Site at Liphook. Various things Army used to be stored there, some unknown as various buildings used to be out of bounds. As a local myself do you not find it expensive for eye tests and unfortunate not to be able to eat steak! It cost me a fortune last time!

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Helen Atkin (6th Aug 2004 - 18:05:06) Hi, umm, more to think about! is there anyone who actually lives on this estate that is aware of having had to have searches done before they purchased? cheers - where's Freddy when you need him? Helen

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Martin (6th Aug 2004 - 20:35:43) I can't help you out with anything more than completely unsubstantiated rumour (I moved in when it was Sainsburys). When I was moving in someone (mid 40s) I know who was brought up in the area told me not to think about that development, precisely becaue of what had been stored there. Of course he could be (accidentally or deliberately) wrong, but if I were spending the phenomenal sums the terraces there seem to attract, I would think it worth £1 or 2k getting a specialist with a geiger counter etc. who can tell me the truth. Once you've done this, you will be able to do what none of theabove (self included) can do - know what you're talking about :)

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Mike Grimes (6th Aug 2004 - 23:04:48) I still have all the searches, including envirosearch, which I (and my solicitor) interpreted as nothing to worry about. The two things that stood out were the danger of explosion from the Sainsburys filling station (if you have a problem with that then do not drive a motor car) and a licence to store class four radioactive materials on the site (same licence as was granted to the local photographic film processing business). Anyway, if you would like to inspect any of my searches you are welcome to come and do so, just post contact info and we'll fix it up.

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Mammal (7th Aug 2004 - 08:37:27) Has anyone ever seen Poltergeist? Mmmmmmm

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - KATHRYN (9th Aug 2004 - 08:41:19) Hi I live in the develpment and moved in when it was built in June 2004, the searches we completed showed that only Army supplies such as uniform, blankets etc were stored here and not anything that will contaminate you! The more annoying thing is the petty vandalism that takes place i.e. trees being snapped off and ornamental balls being pushed off - if you are moving in to a house that is on the route between Sainsburys and the Manor Fields estate - good luck!

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Helen Atkin (9th Aug 2004 - 17:19:08) Hi, Thanks Kathryn and everyone - we are moving towards the back of the development so perhaps will be away from the vandals??? Not much we can do really as we need to move south to be near London and Liphook is the nearest we can get that we can afford - we have a big house up here in Cheshire but the value of this equates to a small 3 bedroom house in Liphook so we'll have a big mortgage! Advantages will be that my husband will be coming home every night instead of working away all week (well I'll let you know if that works out to be an advantage in a few months time!) so my two boys will see more of their dad, also my sister lives in Midhurst and we have family in Portsmouth so instead of being abit isolated up here things should get better (she hopes) so really the house location is just a small part of the bigger picture for us. Thanks for all your help.

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Mark B (9th Aug 2004 - 22:02:46) I heard (don't know if it is true) that at one time the OSU site did store some weapons. I certainly hope not as I remember regularly cycling past the security gate when I was younger and seeing the guards fast asleep. Back to the contamination issue I'm fairly sure someone told me that Sainsburys and the housing developers had to do a quite deep soil scrape to replace soil before building on the site. Something to do with checking there was no contamination from the OSU site? Anyway I'm sure you'll be fine as there is certainly no evidence of any problems on that estate. Welcome to Liphook soon!

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - S (10th Aug 2004 - 09:43:25) It's a bit difficult to guess what may or may not have been kept at the OSU site in the past 20 years unless you have access to secret docs and if the environmental searches come up ok I guess there is nothing to worry about. Going on from that I do remember a story a fair few years ago (20 years +) when the Greenham common women were at their busiest that Longmoor Camp was going to house some nuclear warheads for a few months whilst waiting transit to Greenham or somewhere else. Anyway the rumour has it which is what I was referring to earlier was that because this rumour got out they changed the destination. You guess where they were put allegedly? I remember at the time seeing massive lorries going in and out of the OSU with loads of army trucks and police following but being a small boy I didn't care and found it fascinating. Not that any environmental search would ever tell you that for certain. Have you noticed they have Normal, Organic and Nuclear Food ailes at Sainsburys?

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Paul Robinson (10th Aug 2004 - 12:35:53) Yes it is true that at the time of protest at Greenham Common they did take cruise missiles out of there and lodged them temporarily at Longmoor but this was part of a rapid deployment exercise and nothing to do with a permanent relocation. As for secrecy I would estimate that the convoy of armed vehicles in attendance would do credit to a Presidential motorcade in downtown Baghdad. Most of the movements were carried out at night to make the array of flashing blue lights all the more impressive

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - S (11th Aug 2004 - 14:02:02) You sure it was just at Longmoor cos I remember seeing them at the OSU too. It was at the same time.

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Paul Robinson (12th Aug 2004 - 08:25:00) Perhaps the missiles were being measured up for standard issues woolly pullovers.

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - John (16th Aug 2004 - 21:33:05) Hi Helen , Don't worry too much about the vandalism as it is minimal.You are more likely to be knocked down by a kid on a skateboard or a BMW /4 wheel drive pram or possibly choked to death by barbecue smoke than being vandalised . Good luck(but you won't need it). Welcome to Liphook ..

Re: Housing development behind Sainsbury's - Freddie Dawkins (19th Aug 2004 - 11:09:24) Just a quick bit of info: The OSU was built by the Canadian Army in WWII. It was a big munitions store - and was still being used for non-munitions up to point of demolition (thoughtnot much). The biggest problem was the asbestos. When the site was demolished it took the best part of a year to safely remove all the asbestos. There are no worries about environmental/dangerous contamination there. And welcome to Liphook! Freddie

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