What does RAPS do and why should you pay £10 a year per household for membership?

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RAPS ensures that your voice as a resident of Port Solent is heard. As an independent, non-political association it represents the interests of its members who are drawn from the whole Port Solent community, helping to sustain Port Solent as a pleasant, safe and unique place to live, work and enjoy. 

The main focus of RAPS business is local planning. A separate page on this website is devote to the  Portsmouth Plan. 

A list of prioritised issues is maintained in a register that is updated regularly. Here is a selection of success stories from that register:

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• Planning: in the past, RAPS has made effective representations to Portsmouth City Council (PCC) in order to limit the damage prospective planning initiatives might cause, especially with regard to use of the green fields. The Committee looks carefully at planning applications and listens to residents’ views to make certain they are well-represented. A series of meetings is to be held with PCC Planning Policy beginning in September 2026 about development plans

 

• Motorway noise barrier: RAPS helped steer Highways England away from their initial plan to erect a concrete wall along Port Way.

 

• Travellers: RAPS channelled information to residents about court orders for eviction and listened to complaints. We encouraged more effective deterrence without spoiling the view.
   

• Country Park and Tipner West Regeneration Project: The Council has paused planning activity at Tipner West pending a review of the benefits and environmental impact. There is a similar pause on Country Park development while the trees planted in 2019 begin to grow. There is little expectation of seeing a publicly accessible park facility before 2035.
   

• RAPS Bell - a regular email from the Chair keeps the information flowing between AGMs and is summarised in an annual Newsletter. RAPS also has social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor.
  
  The membership fee enables the RAPS committee to subsidise social events, like the quiz nights, events during the Christmas season and the occasional outing; it provides a budget for printing the newsletter and other circulars.
  
  Since the most important work of RAPS involves regular dialogue with Portsmouth City Council, the larger the RAPS membership, the greater our credibility. 
  
  That does seem very good value for £10 per household per year. Sign up here!

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