Backlash over ‘broken promise’ as overnight stadium parking could be scrapped
Developers apply to remove overnight parking at John Jenkins Stadium.
A ‘broken promise’ could lead to plans to provide overnight parking for local residents being scrapped at the John Jenkins Stadium.
An application has been put forward to Portsmouth City Council to scrap a condition linked to the original approval for redeveloping the site in Moneyfield Avenue, Baffins, which is being transformed into a new community sports hub.
The condition currently requires 80 parking spaces at the ground to be made available for local residents overnight.
But a new report says the charity Pompey in the Community (PITC), which now runs the site, cannot afford to provide the scheme.
Planning documents estimate the overnight parking scheme would cost around £200,000 to set up, along with ongoing running costs. This would involve installing measures such as ANPR cameras, barriers and monitoring systems.
PITC says meeting the condition would come “at the expense of the clubhouse not being finished” and would reduce the amount of community work it can deliver across the city.
The report also highlights existing parking issues at the site, noting the car park is “over capacity on many occasions” and that allowing overnight parking could worsen the issue.
The charity says removing the condition “would protect the operational integrity, financial sustainability and social value generation of Pompey in the Community for the benefit of the wider city”.
Five residents have objected, mainly raising concerns about parking in the area, while one letter supports the charity’s plans.
One resident wrote: “We understand traffic increases when a football stadium is built nearby but now this means there is nowhere to park when we come home and later in the evening. We have to see the empty spaces in the car park, which can be seen from the road, but are unable to use them – it feels like a promise has been broken.”
Planning officers are recommending the scheme is approved with conditions, but say the final decision will depend on how councillors balance the loss of overnight parking against the wider benefits to the community.
A previous bid to change the condition was turned down by councillors in 2024.