Planners back conversion of Old Portsmouth hotel into apartments
Plans to convert a long-standing Old Portsmouth hotel and former pizzeria into eight apartments will go to Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee next week.
The scheme concerns The Duke of Buckingham Hotel, located at 119 High Street, within the Old Portsmouth Conservation Area.
The application seeks permission for the conversion of the existing hotel and restaurant to form eight apartments, including rear extensions at ground, first and second floor levels, along with refuse and cycle storage and other associated works.
The three-and-a-half-storey building previously operated as a pub and, more recently, as a the former location for Florio’s D’Italia pizzeria. The upper floors currently comprise a 13-room hotel.
Under the plans, the building would be reconfigured to provide two one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments, spread across three floors. The proposals also include a recessed second-floor mansard extension to the rear of the property.
Planning officers note that while the building is neither statutorily listed nor locally listed, it sits within the Old Portsmouth Conservation Area (No. 4). The report concludes that “having had due regard to the modest nature of the heritage impacts, the public benefits of the proposal are considered to outweigh any impacts to the heritage asset.”
A total of 137 public comments were received during consultation, 107 of which were objections. Common concerns included that the design was not in keeping with the conservation area, that the scale of the development was overbearing, and that parking availability in the area is already limited.
In its response, the Portsmouth Society said it was “saddened to see the loss of both an on-street hospitality venue and a hotel.”
The preservation group added: “Parking is an issue in the area, so student accommodation would probably be a better use of the site than small apartments but conversely, the demand for small apartments is much higher than for student accommodation and although it would impact parking locally, we suspect local residents would prefer apartments to student accommodation.
“As regards the 2 designs, we presume the street frontage will be treated sympathetically and the new windows along the side will be positioned so as not to overlook neighbours.”
The planning committee will meet on October 22, planning officer’s have recommended approval, residents can view the plans using the reference 24/01085/FUL.