Promenade could be widened for new seafront hospitality offer

Plans to widen the promenade to provide a new seafront “hospitality offer” will be decided next week.

Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee will decide whether to approve amendments to “sub-frontage six” of the sea defence project – the stretch between South Parade Pier and the Eastney Coffee Cup, covering the seafront near Canoe Lake.

The report notes that part of the promenade, dubbed the “commercial plinth”, could be widened to 16m to accommodate a new hospitality offer.

The site is currently home to the original Southsea Beach Cafe and two fish and chip shops, which are there under lease.

Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of the council, said the area “has to be cleared” for the sea defences to be built and to incorporate a “plinth that’s the right size for something new”.

He said existing occupiers are nearing the end of their leases and that there will eventually be a tender process to decide the new seafront offers. He confirmed that “existing occupiers would of course be able to apply if they’re interested”.

He said the new plinth will ensure there is provision for sea swimmers, as well as a “new hospitality offer”.

The recent application also seeks to amend the original design, including changes to the primary, or ‘toe’, of the defence and its secondary defence.

The original design proposed a stepped revetment with a rock armour toe, which consists of large rocks at the base of a sea defence to help prevent erosion.

This could be replaced with a sheet pile toe, a wall driven deep into the beach which would act as the main barrier to wave action.

The original design also called for a large-scale earth embankment on the northern edge of Canoe Lake car park, which is no longer needed due to the introduction of two flood gates.

A separate application for listed building consent will also be decided, seeking to remove and reposition 16 Grade II listed lamp columns along sub-frontage 6.