CIVIC chiefs have agreed to back residents’ calls to open up walking routes around a historic Hampshire naval fort.

Gosport Borough Council is to seek more protection for walking routes around Fort Gilkicker, following calls from residents at a meeting held at the town’s Thorngate Halls.

The meeting was called after regular dog-walkers around fort in Lee-on-the-Solent expressed their anger over the council’s decision to close off public footpaths around the base and sell Military Road which leads up to the site.

Following the meeting, council will now work with residents on submitting a planning application to Hampshire County Council to have two routes officially made into public rights of way

The fort is expected to be turned into 22 townhouses and four luxury flats valued at between £1.5 and £3m each by Wildboar Developments.

Councillor Mark Hook, leader of the council, said: “We’re grateful to the 200 residents who came to the meeting.

“We listened carefully to what they had to say.

“One of the top concerns they had was protecting the paths. We’re happy to act on this, and to take the lead on applying for public right of way status for these routes.

“To do this, we’ll need residents to help by providing evidence about the use of the routes.”

Fort Gilkicker was built between 1863 and 1871 by the Royal Navy to protect the coast from invasion.

The fort ceased operating as a coastal defence base in 1956 and has been derelict for decades.

Planning permission to redevelop the site was first granted by Gosport Borough Council back in 2001 however, delays in securing an investor and developer for the site led to constant delays for almost two decades having changed ownership on three separate occasions.