A guard and his Alsatian patrol the former Royal Naval guns, behind the high, rusty barbed wire fence that separates the beach and walkers from the deserted grounds. The warren of Cold War buildings lie gaunt and forgotten, weeds growing tall between the cracks in giant paving stones and piles of rubble; the only splashes of color from bright red gas bottles thrown away behind a dilapidated caravan.
This is Fraser Range, an 11.4 hectare former Ministry of Defense site on the south-east of Portsea Island in Portsmouth, which developers hope to convert into 134 new homes, from one-bedroom apartments to six-bedroom houses. With your back to the fence looking out to sea, it’s easy to imagine this place in its heyday, but now it lies exposed, bleak and a complete eyesore – with a rather unusual problem.
To the north, Fraser Range is bordered by Fort Cumberland, an 18th-century Grade II military site, and to the west is Southsea Leisure Park, loved by locals, many of whom come from the residential area built on an old ammunition dump across the river. away.
But to the south, just meters from the buildings now ready for a makeover, is Eastney Beach, which has been frequented by naturists for more than 70 years. And it’s the regulars on this short stretch of gravel that could give the developers, Orangestar Capital, one of their biggest obstacles.
This week, nudist David Stares spoke of his fears that naturists will be pushed out by complaints from new residents, saying he and his friends have “nowhere to go”.
And while strolling along the beach, it’s abundantly clear that luxury real estate development and nude sunbathing are not a match made in Heaven. In fact, the recent row between naturists and developers has also encouraged locals to express their feelings on the matter.
“I don’t have a problem with nudists per se,” says Portsmouth native Katie Mathias, as she walks dogs along the beach with her father, Philip, a former naval officer, “but if I lived there it would bother me to to look out my kitchen window while cooking and see something inappropriate.”
Philip, 65, agrees. “I know the naturists are worried about being driven out, but I think it is much more important to solve the housing crisis in this country than to maintain a nudist beach. There are huge areas of abandoned ex-MoD sites and the sooner they are sold and developed the better. But let’s be honest, you’re not going to spend a million pounds on a plot overlooking a nudist beach.”
Although developers declined to increase the price of units at the proposed site, none of these will be affordable housing. Instead, Fraser Range investments include £9.5 million for a new sea wall and flood defences, maintenance of the beach and grounds for 100 years at a cost of £3.5 million, and a coastal path around the entire peninsula, which is currently inaccessible is, at a cost of £1.8 million plus £800,000 for a century of maintenance.
That’s a lot of money for a project that could suffer negative consequences if people sunbathe naked. According to Rightmove, property prices in Hampshire have risen by 4 per cent since 2021, with seaside terraced houses on nearby Hayling Island fetching an average of £466,250.
But it seems that the presence of naturists can have an impact on property values. Last year it was reported that prices of properties overlooking a beach in the picturesque fishing village of Lower Largo, Fife, were 36 per cent lower than those in the surrounding area.
In Portsmouth, the sooner the nudist beach goes, the better, say some locals. Resident and retiree David has lived in Spithead Heights for 30 years, just behind Fraser Range and adjacent to Southsea Marina. “If the nudist beach comes, that will be a plus for me,” he says. “The idea is that they stick to their area, but spend too much time in the non-nudist parts of the beach.”
David’s neighbour, Nick, who has lived at Spithead Heights for 23 years, added: “Something needs to be done about the Fraser Range property, it is an eyesore and none of us care if the nudist beach disappears . There are naturist beaches in Gosport and Hayling which are not that far away.”
Orangestar Capital first submitted plans to transform Fraser Range in 2018. The proposals were due to go to Portsmouth’s planning committee this week but have been postponed to “resolve some issues with Natural England”, a company spokesperson said.
Theresa Merry, 36, and Katherine Campbell, 39, both pub managers who live nearby, said developers had been very proactive in informing locals.
“Years ago, Orangestar Capital sent round plans to all residents,” says Katherine. “We want to ensure that Southsea Leisure Park is preserved because this is where everyone walks their dog, but the infrastructure is also vital. There is only one road into the peninsula and one road out, so whilst a redeveloped site will be more attractive, can the roads and car parks cope?
“And we are also concerned about the sewage system. There are two sewer pipes here and the constant leaks are the biggest concern. The stretch of beach on the other side of Fort Cumberland is sometimes covered in toilet paper.”
Theresa adds that “no one will miss the naturists”.
“They have been here for about seventy years and although most do not cause any problems, every now and then someone stands naked at the top of the footpath where children and families walk to and from the beach. It’s unnecessary exhibitionism and you worry that they might be a little perverted.
“Besides, the nudists don’t contribute to anything locally, so if they really want to sunbathe, they can take the ferry to Hayling.”
The local Southsea Beach Clean group meets once a month, every Saturday, to clean the entire stretch of sea from Eastney to the pier. “The main concern we all have about the development is poor water quality and sewerage, as well as the impact of more cars in an area that is poorly served by public transport,” said the group’s 50-year-old co-ordinator Pete Fincham.
“There is a commitment from the developers to improve coastal defenses and beach management, and the site is a terrible eyesore, so on the face of it it doesn’t seem like a bad thing. In a city with about 200,000 inhabitants, no one talks about the nudist beach. We simply can’t take our children to the sea anymore because that end of the beach is the sewage treatment plant, so cleaner water and better sewage management are much more important than a little nude sunbathing.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Orangestar Capital said Eastney beach is currently privately owned and no public right of way currently exists, “although this is not enforced”.
With plans to introduce a circular route around the peninsula in front of Cumberland Fort for the first time in many years, he says, “public rights to access the beach will actually be improved and will be a huge benefit to everyone in Portsmouth”.
“There will obviously be a change in the character of the site as a result of the new homes on the site, but this need not exclude naturist access to the beach.”
In terms of infrastructure, the spokesperson said: “We have worked closely with all statutory advisers and can confirm that neither Portsmouth City Council Highways Department nor those involved in dirty sewage have objected to the proposals.
“We would make a contribution of £2.65 million to local infrastructure as a result of the development… all in addition to the improvement works to local highways, including the access road.”