Approval has been granted to install a three-metre-high fence to make police headquarters more secure despite residents’ opposition.

According to the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), the fence is needed to improve security at the site after a report said that critical operational assets such as the HQ could be seen as a “key target to criminal and terrorist organisations”.

Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC) has approved the application to install the fence with a spiked topper to protect against climb-over attempts along the perimeter of the Southern support and police training headquarters near Netley.

The application also included the replacement of vehicle and pedestrian gates at the main access through Hamble Lane and secondary access at Hound Road with new controlled and monitored gates for site security purposes.

During the public consultation, 26 representatives were present, all objecting to or raising concerns about the proposal.

At the Bursledon, Hamble-le-Rice and Hound local committee meeting (March 27), Simon Guillan, chair of Hound Parish Council, said they had received several complaints from residents of Hound Road who couldn’t park in their drive because recently there were several hundred vehicles coming out of the gate at Hound Road.

He said the fence was “ridiculous” and will impact wildlife.

“We have two families of deer, and they will bash themselves crazy in those fences. A fence which prevents people from coming in is fine, but it doesn’t have to be a ten-foot fence.

“I think they [police] have been a welcome part of the community, but they are isolating themselves by doing this,” he added.

The council officer said that after reviewing the concerns received by the council, he analysed over 40 planning applications related to the site and the wider country park from 1980, which is when permission was granted to use Victoria House for police constabulary and found “nothing” that places any restrictions on the Hound Road.

He said: “Hound Road was the original access for the wider hospital site. So, there are no restrictions on its use. There is nothing from a planning perspective that says this access can’t be used for any purpose.

“But I have been assured that they have no intentions to alter how that access has been used, and therefore, there should be no additional travel. In fact, the proposal is to improve the Hamble Lane access driveway to encourage use.”

Superintendent Simon Tribe, who has been working at the site for around 28 years, said he has been “always very surprised” to see the site as open as it is.

He said that recently, there have been increased problems with people coming into the site to video the activity and then post it on the internet.

Superintendent Tribe said: “Certainly, from an operational police perspective, one of the main concerns is that if we are practising and training for armed tactics on how to deal with terrorism and organised crime groups, the fact that we have people enteringthe site with the express interest of filming training and posting it online, I would suggest is a significant risk to security, not only to the officers but to the wider public."