Plans to transform an area of Somerstown to make it more community focused and create new housing have been given the go-ahead by Portsmouth City Council.
The plans include creating 566 new homes, including 319 council homes, as well as commercial spaces and a variety of green spaces, as part of the Somers Orchard project.
The approved buildings will replace three sites, the former Horatia and Leamington House towers which were taken down in 2022, the Melbourne Place car park site, and the Gibson Centre site (the old Brook Club on Sackville Street).
Two applications were submitted to the council’s planning committee on Wednesday 21 August.
The first application was for 319 affordable flats across three blocks. Once built all of these affordable rent homes will be allocated to people on the council’s housing register.
The second application was for 247 build-to-rent flats, to be built by a third party. Twenty percent of these will be designated as affordable housing.
Developed with the Karakusevic Carson Architects design team, one of the main considerations for the plans was community engagement. The council has worked closely with the local community, who chose the name Somers Orchard, and agreed on a focus on sustainability, community safety, and open green spaces that encourage socialising.
There is a focus on community in the designs too, with an indoor community space to replace the Gibson Centre, and a range of community gardens for residents to use.
The council submitted the plans in December 2023 and contacted people living closest to the proposed development sites to give the local community a chance to submit their feedback to the planning committee.
Speaking about the decision, Cllr Darren Sanders, cabinet member for housing and tackling homelessness, said: “I’m delighted these plans have been approved, we’ve worked very hard with our residents to plan homes that reflect people’s various needs and give them space to gather together and for children and adults to enjoy the outdoors. I’m very eager to see work start on the next phase of this project.”
Speaking at the planning meeting, resident Lucy Field said: “I wholeheartedly support the Somers Orchard planning proposal. Throughout the planning process the community and public have been consistently encouraged to participate through a variety of innovative engagement events which ensured that the voices of Somerstown residents have been central to every decision made. I am eager to see the new homes come to life and to witness the positive impact they will have on the community.”
You can view the full plans on the democratic services website