Fraser Road / Hooks Farm Way / Hooks Lane

We are using micro-tunnelling to build the majority of the reservoir pipelines, as this will minimise disruption for local communities. More detail on what micro-tunnelling involves, as well as our overall construction plan, can be found in our information leaflet.

You can also view an overview map of the reservoir pipelines route by clicking here, or access our more detailed online map, where you can give us your comments by placing a virtual pin.

Key pipelines construction activities around Fraser Road / Hooks Farm Way / Hooks Lane

It’s important to note that our construction plan for this section of the pipelines is focused on minimising impacts on local schools (Bidbury Infant & Junior Schools and St Thomas More School) and users of Hooks Lane playing fields, including Havant Rugby Club. For example, carrying out key works during school holidays and outside the rugby season.

• Quarter 1 = January to end of March
• Quarter 2 = April to end of June
• Quarter 3 = July to end of September
• Quarter 4 = October to end of December.

Over recent months, our team has been preparing the working areas at Hooks Lane playing fields for the pipeline construction activities that will take place there. This has included installing fencing to create secure compounds ready for the construction of: Shaft W2, located in the south-west corner of the playing fields next to Havant Rugby Club. Shaft W3, located in the north-east corner of the playing fields, south of Hooks Farm Way.

Each compound is surrounded by eight-feet high wooden hoardings to provide a safe and secure working environment.

To help protect the local environment, measures have been put in place to safeguard trees within the working areas. A number of smaller trees have also been relocated to other parts of the playing fields.

We have installed a temporary haul road along the northern and western edges of the playing fields to allow construction vehicles to safely access the W2 and W3 compounds. For safety, the haul road will be closed off to the public with hoardings and fencing in place along its entire length.

Work has also been completed to create access points on Hooks Farm Way for construction traffic, including lorries entering and leaving the site. To support safe vehicle movements, temporary parking restrictions will be in place along sections of Hooks Farm Way for the duration of the works. These measures include road markings and parking signage.

What happens next

Further work to set up the working areas will continue over the coming weeks before construction of the pipelines begins, including the following activities:

Construction of Shaft W2 - Duration approximately 1.5 months: Construction of tunnelling access Shaft W2 will take place in the south-west corner of the playing fields next to Havant Rugby Club. The shaft will enable us to launch a Micro-Tunnel Boring Machine (MTBM), which will be used to construct sections of the pipelines underground. Shaft W2 will be approximately 13 metres in diameter and 6 metres deep and will be located within a fully enclosed construction compound.

Construction of tunnelled pipelines section - Duration approximately 8 months: Once Shaft W2 has been completed, tunnelling will begin between: Shaft W2 at Hooks Lane Playing Fields, and Shaft W1 at Portsmouth Water's Bedhampton Pumping Station, south of the railway line on Meyrick Road. The tunnelling work will be well below the railway tracks, roads, footpaths, public spaces, utilities like gas and water pipes and electricity cables, and tree roots. The route has been carefully designed to avoid passing directly beneath homes, and the pipelines will be installed significantly deeper than any building foundations.

What this means for you

Working with the local planning and highways authorities, we have developed comprehensive plans for constructing the reservoir pipelines and effectively managing construction traffic. Our plans are focused on keeping disruption for local communities to a minimum, while building the pipelines efficiently and on schedule.

Construction traffic: All construction vehicles will use designated routes to reach locations where we will be building the pipelines, with vehicle movements taking place outside of local peak traffic periods as far as possible. We will also limit journeys by Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), such as tipper lorries and articulated lorries, as much as we can. HGV deliveries to site will not be allowed on week days between 8-9.15am, 2.40-3.45pm and 5-6pm.

For the above planned work, construction traffic will travel from the north via Barncroft Way, before using Hooks Farm Way to reach site (Click here for a map).

On average, each day there will be six two-way trips (i.e. to and from site) by HGVs or our tractor and trailer unit. There will be a peak period of up to 25 two-way trips by HGVs / tractor & trailer unit over the course of 22 days during the works, with dates for this to be confirmed.

Temporary site access points: During work to build the pipelines, we will need to have dedicated access points in place, so construction traffic can enter and leave site safely. For Hooks Lane playing fields, there will be an access point at the junction between Hooks Farm Way and Hooks Lane, just north of where the sports pitches are, plus another a short distance to the west.

Parking for residents: To allow safe access for construction vehicles to site, parking restrictions will be in place in part of Hooks Farm Way from Quarter 2 2026 for the duration of the works.

In total, 29 spaces will be temporarily taken out of use. These will be along the northern side of Hooks Farm Way, from near the junction with Barncroft Way to where the playing fields are. The parking bay on the southern side of the road, next to the sports pitches, will also be closed off. Notices will be put up ahead of the parking suspension starting, with new yellow lines and clear signage in place while these temporary arrangements apply.

Temporary Public Right of Way diversion:

The designated Public Right of Way, for use by pedestrians and others, that runs along the northern edge of Hooks Lane playing fields needs to be temporarily diverted from Quarter 2 2026 to Quarter 1 2028. The diversion will be a short distance north of the existing route, via Ibsley Grove. The diversion will also be clearly signposted.