Instead of our normal summary of planning applications, this month the Portsmouth Society have kindly agreed to allow us to use theirs.  Whilst it is not as focussed on the PRS as our normal summary, we hope you find this version more informative and complete.  The Portsmouth Society are a voluntary organisation interested in preserving the best of Portsmouth's environment: buildings, streets, open spaces and seashore, and in encouraging well designed new buildings and amenities. Click here for more information.

Details of Portsmouth University's sports complex for Ravelin Park by the Cambridge Road-Museum Road roundabout are now available as part of their formal planning application 18/00647/FUL. There is provision for 72 parking spaces underground to offset the fact that it will be built on the current parking area, and an archaeological mitigation programme will be worked out as this was once a part of the de Gomme fortifications. This is a quality application for a thoughtful and exciting proposal.

 Wingfield House in Commercial Road receives another attempt to bring a large long-vacant office space back into use, this time for a further 440 student study bedrooms (18/00426/FUL). The external changes proposed are more drastic and appealing than  those to the other 1960s block renovation recently granted permission, Brunel House.
 

            
A sizeable but little-seen building in the historic dockyard is to be brought into use as a major extension to the main national Museum of the Royal Navy (18/00680/LBC and 18/00564/FUL) when it is transferred from DIO to Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust ownership. Store No12 is a long Victorian storehouse, running parallel to Stores 10-11-12 that constitute the main part of the museum, on its harbour side. It is believed to have been a returns store originally; it is not listed, and the ground floor is currently in use as the Admiralty library and research room. A new glass atrium will join it to the recent link between Stores 10 & 11.

Across the fence in the Naval Base, a programme of repair works to the former Brass Foundry is progressing through the planning system. A store and in quite poor repair, the listed building 1/142 (18/00450/FUL) is part of the steam era legacy.

It will be difficult now to prevent demolition of the Cogswell villas at St James' Hospital site, Fair Oak House and The Beeches, as planning permission was deemed unnecessary. The Milton Neighbourhood Planning Forum and Councillor Ben Dowling are however persevering in their attempts to retain these solid but unlisted period buildings.

At the PCC Planning Committee meeting on 23 April, the recommendation to refuse permission for the cafe terrace addition to South Parade Pier was overturned, unanimously.

The plan to turn the former Labour Club in Coburg Street into student accommodation has been withdrawn.
 

After several refusals, the owners of the former Portland Hotel have succeeded in getting permission for a new 4-story residential building on land to the rear in Tonbridge Street (18/00453/FUL) Whilst it will inevitably overcrowd the space, the plan offers more appropriate scale, better design, and has had little local opposition this time round. It is to be hoped that the proceeds from this development do indeed go, as promised, to fund renovation of one of the most iconic buildings in Owen's Southsea. 

We would encourage all members to be 'inquisitive' about mature trees that suddenly disappear or are severely cut back. Most of the city's mature trees are subject to Tree Preservation Orders, requiring planning permission before alteration, that should be viewable on the Council's planning portal. We are currently investigating the sad loss of a fine tree in Mayfield Road that mysteriously disappeared after a planning application was withdrawn.