Decision due on redevelopment of former Portsmouth bottling store to 17 homes
PLANS to ‘sympathetically’ redevelop a century-old bottling store into 17 homes in the city centre are set to be determined - but some neighbours have branded the designs ‘hideous.’
Portsmouth councillors are due to discuss an application submitted by the council to transform Brewery House, in Southsea, into a £4m development including 13 two-bedroom flats and four one-bedroom flats.
If approved, the scheme would include adding an extra storey and creating bike storage in the building's basement.
The building was used to store bottles from the Long & Co Brewery across the street, which was destroyed during the Second World War.
Portsmouth council bought the premises in the 1950s and until four years ago it was used by city Scout groups which have since been re-homed.
But since its submission the application has garnered four objections and a petition signed by 38 residents with concerns over parking, design and loss of privacy.
The petition stated: 'While recognising this is a subjective observation, many of those residents petitioned believe the building should retain its natural beauty and that the proposed extension to the top level makes it lose its identity and in doing so appear "hideous."'
It added: 'Plans do not appear to have taken into consideration Portsmouth's parking standards which, given the paucity of existing available spaces may lead to instances of anti-social behaviour at peak times.
'Parking within this area is a problem on most days. There are numerous instances where disabled parking bays are either being used by vehicles not displaying a badge or infringing on the bay in such a way to make it impossible for legitimate users to park.'
The plans will be discussed at a virtual planning committee meeting on Wednesday, September 9.
Speaking previously to The News, Kevin Hudson, the council's development manager, explained that a lot of the original structure would be preserved. He said: 'The key for us is retaining what we have got here.
'If we didn't do this and it was taken on by another developer the chances are that they would just knock this building down.
'We will deal with the building sympathetically.'