The Portsmouth Society - News
| News | What Future for Southsea Shopping Precinct? | |
| Earlier news | The December 2004 meeting of the West Southsea Neighbourhood Forum invited David Murphy and his colleagues from 'The Retail Group' to deliver a presentation on their recently announced plans for the development of the Southsea Shopping Precinct. The presentation was largely eclipsed by the uncertainties implicit in the eleventh hour announcement by Portsmouth City Council. One of the two major Department Stores in the Precinct, Knight and Lee, as part of the John Lewis Partnership, has decided or has been persuaded to relocate from Southsea to the new development on the former Tricorn site in the city, to be known as City Centre North. It was strongly rumoured that the remaining Department Store, Debenhams, is likely to follow suit. Barbara Thompson the recently appointed Strategic Director for Economy, Culture and Community Safety of Portsmouth City Council introduced this news with considerable enthusiasm and spoke about the economic benefits to the City. Not surprisingly the worthy residents of Southsea shared neither her enthusiasm nor appreciation for the apparently secretive manner, under the guise of commercial confidence, in which these negotiations had been conducted, in the wake of encouraging The Retail Group to invest in precinct shops formerly owned by the City Council. The comparatively modest development plans by the Retail Group evoked less interest than fears for the economic future of the precinct and, indeed, of Southsea, without Department Stores. Residents of the maisonettes above the shops naturally expressed concern about disturbance during re-construction. A hope was voiced by Celia Clark for more impressive architecture, particularly more interesting facades than were planned, though this received less support than the plea to leave the best feature of the precinct - the trees - undisturbed. There will be an update of these plans at the Next Forum on 21 March (at Dovercourt, Kent Road, 7pm) and we can but hope for better news. Bob Adderley |