India Arms: Plans unveiled to transform historic Southsea pub into new homes
Plans have been unveiled to convert an historic Southsea pub into homes - with a decline in trade meaning it is set to close.
A planning application has been submitted to Portsmouth City Council seeking permission to convert the India Arms, now known as Carter & Co, into four homes. If approved, the pub building will be converted into two homes - one a five-bed home and the other a four-bed home - with two other four-bed homes built in the pub garden.
The pub, which is also used as a bed and breakfast, can be found in Great Southsea Street but declining trading conditions has forced its owner to put forward the proposals, the application said.
The application said: “The need for the proposal arises from a decline in trade of the existing operation, which has reached the point where it will cease to trade soon.
“Residential use was identified by the applicant as being the most appropriate alternative use of the site in view of the character of the street, which is overwhelmingly residential, as well as the significant shortfall in housing supply in the city at present.
“It is acknowledged that both the existing building and application site as a whole are sensitive to change in heritage terms given its Grade II listed status and being located within a Conservation Area.
“Accordingly, very careful consideration has been given to how the existing building can be converted without adversely impacting on those features that give the site its special architectural and historic interest. The internal works to the building have also been kept to a minimum to make best use of the existing building fabric to provide the proposed residential dwellings.”
The application says the building is historical significance to the area, with the transformation being done sympathetically to retain its heritage.
“The building was originally constructed separately in the very early 20th Century but physically connected, commercial premises,” it said. “The northern section (no 30) was built around 1902 with the southern section (no 32) slightly earlier around 1900. Originally, the southern section was the former Hoopers fish and game shop, the name of which is still engraved into the front roof parapet of no 32. Nos. 30 and 32 were amalgamated into single public house use sometime in the 1980s.
“The building still retains an identity of two separate premises on its street frontage due to the two distinctly different designs on each component part.
“Visible within the ground floor bar area are 2no. noticeable and highly attractive tiled murals depicting a hunting scene, and fishing scene, providing an insight to the historical uses of the buildings before the conversion to a public house.”
No carparking spaces are provided for the homes, but the application said that there is also no parking spaces for the existing pub and B&B meaning the parking situation would not made worse by the plans. It also points to local public transport links.
“Car parking spaces cannot be included in the scheme due to the constrained nature of the site,” the application said.
“When comparing the demand that arises from the existing use of the building with that proposed, the application would have a lesser impact on the local parking and highway conditions.
“Southsea has excellent public and sustainable transport routes with numerous bus services, its own train station and key inter-city cycle and walking routes”
To view or comment on the plans visit the Portsmouth City Council planning portal and search applications 25/00963/FUL and 25/00964/LBC.
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