Regeneration of The Hard

The Hard transport interchange now open

The new transport interchange at The Hard in Portsmouth is now open.

Services offered to the public in the new building include:

First Travel Centre for bus and National Express information and tickets
Visitor Information, including Waterfront Gifts
Toilets
Refreshments
Seating areas

The 10 bays all have real-time information screens to show arrival times and will be used by First Bus, Stagecoach, National Express, Megabus and Park & Ride.

The project was carried out by contractors Osborne and local firms were subcontracted. It was funded by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership and Portsmouth City Council.

Creating the new transport hub is the first step in a vision to regenerate the area around The Hard which is located between the world-famous Historic Dockyard and Gunwharf Quays. It will set the benchmark for the area and the tone for an impressive new gateway to Portsmouth.

If you have any questions about the regeneration of The Hard area, please call 023 9288 2501 or email thehard@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

Background Information Open / Close

The Hard is hugely important to Portsmouth as a transport interchange. It is a site where bus, train and boat services come together and for many people it is the first thing they see when arriving in the city.

Plans to regenerate the area around The Hard were in development for several years. Following consultation with residents and businesses we produced a masterplan for the area called a supplementary planning document (SPD). The purpose of the plan was to:

set out a clear vision and identity for The Hard
identify development opportunities and proposals for improving key routes and public areas
provide detailed guidance about the design and use of land, buildings and public spaces

The plan was adopted in November 2010 and updated in 2012 to reflect the adoption of the Portsmouth Plan. It is now used to inform planning decisions in the area.

You can view The Hard SPD masterplan in the documents section below.

The old interchange was not suitable for modern transport requirements. By redesigning the site layout we could make much better use of the space and make it safer for all people using the area. The concrete deck and supporting structure also need maintenance work. Leading architects AHR worked with us and the various transport operators to ensure the new interchange meets everyone's needs.

We submitted a planning application on 28 April 2014, and approval was given on 11 June 2014. Visuals submitted for the interchange planning application can be seen in the pdf below, a pdf of the road layout is also below.