Old Portsmouth Naval club could become beauty rooms and café
The ground floor of the former Royal Naval Club could be transformed into beauty therapy rooms and a café, under new plans lodged with Portsmouth City Council.
A Grade II listed building in Old Portsmouth could soon see part of its ground floor converted into beauty therapy rooms and a cold food café, according to a new planning application.
The proposal concerns the Royal Naval Club and Royal Albert Yacht Club on Pembroke Road, a landmark building within the Old Portsmouth Conservation Area. The site currently houses club facilities on the ground floor, with apartments occupying the upper floors following earlier approvals.
Planning documents state, “It is proposed to convert the ground floor into beauty therapy rooms and cold food café with associated ancillary spaces and WC facilities. The current spaces are no longer in use.”
The building’s historic exterior will remain untouched, with “no external changes and internal alterations left to a minimum”.
Internally, areas will be subdivided “to create the separate rooms,” but “significant design features have been left to help retain the architectural features of the Grade II listed building.”
Situated across the road from Governor’s Green, the four-storey property features grey brickwork with red brick arched windows, a Romanesque-style façade, and a central tower.
Parking has been a consideration in the plan, as the site is within the Old Portsmouth residential parking zone. However, the applicant states that “there is sufficient parking available in the local streets to accommodate the change of use without negatively impacting the current parking situation.”
Public transport links are strong, with nearby bus routes and train, coach, and ferry stations all within two miles of the site. The Environment Agency has also assessed the area as being at low risk from flooding.
It was reported in 2021 that the Naval and Yacht Club considered closure due to a decline in membership following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The applicant, Nikki Andrews, is the CEO of hair and beauty co-working space business The Collective, which has a location at 38 London Road, North End.
Residents can view and comment on the plans on the Portsmouth City Council website using the reference 25/00666/LBC.
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