Developers propose larger car park at St John’s College site to tackle Southsea’s growing parking pressures
Proposals to enlarge the car park as part of the redevelopment of St John’s College in Southsea aim to alleviate parking pressures in the area.
The plan to convert the former St John’s College on Grove Road South into 212 homes was approved by Portsmouth City Council in March 2024.
The initial planning application, submitted by Southsea Village Limited, included provision for a car park with 106 spaces—equating to just half a space per home. This sparked significant opposition from local residents, with over 100 written objections submitted.
In the original decision, council officers acknowledged that the limited parking could result in an overspill, causing “residents to drive around the area hunting for a parking space due to the additional pressure”.
Developers have now proposed increasing the number of parking spaces to 142, a move aimed at improving parking provision while “reducing parking pressure elsewhere in Southsea”, according to planning documents.
The revised plan also emphasises sustainable travel, with developers stating: “A significant level of cycle parking is still proposed to assist with encouraging non-motorised travel.”
The redevelopment will comprise 49 one-bedroom flats, 138 two-bedroom flats, 24 three-bedroom flats, and one four-bedroom property on the grounds of the former independent school, which closed in summer 2022 due to declining student numbers.
The original plans attracted over 100 objections, including from resident James Kirby, who raised concerns about overlooking, loss of light, and “gross visual intrusion”.
The Portsmouth Society also criticised the development, calling it out of scale and character with the area, which forms part of the Owen’s Southsea Conservation Area (OSCA). A spokesperson stated: “The council established the OSCA in recognition of its national importance.
"What is presented here is bland and characterless, typical of generic housing developments that could be found anywhere. The proposals for the cell block on Grove Road are particularly bad – it’s ugly and not good enough.”
The revised plan includes electric vehicle (EV) charging points for all parking spaces, 375 long-stay cycle parking spaces, and 38 short-stay cycle spaces.
The council has set January 17 as a target date for a decision on application 24/01517/NMA.