View the below feedback in booklet format.
Thank you to all the local people who told us what they would like us to think about if we put together plans for Paulsgrove Community Centre, library and nearby open space in the future.
We know that any potential development work would affect local people so we wanted to ask as many of you as possible for your thoughts because we want to include your views, feedback and opinions in them design process if we start to put together plans.
What is the project about?
We want to build a new community centre and library for Paulsgrove. We also want to make sure that the nearby open space, which includes the sports pitches, is working well for the local community.
You’ll see from the feedback we collected, which is all included here, that while we were asking as many Paulsgrove people as possible about the community centre, library and open spaces, one of the issues that was most important to the local community was the potential for improvements to Paulsgrove as a whole. We have listened to these comments from local people and that’s why we are looking at things that can be done to improve the wider area beyond the scope of the community centre.
How we reached out to you
- We hand delivered 5,516 flyers to every address in Paulsgrove.
- We posted on social media advertising a public open drop-in session; Party for Paulsgrove.
- We put up 750 posters in the area which included QR codes linking people to the online survey.
- We put up three banners at the community centre, shopping precinct, and park.
- People were able to write their thoughts and ideas on a large noticeboard at the community centre.
How we listened to you
- We hosted Party for Paulsgrove on 30 June, 2022. It swapped free ice-cream, cakes, face painting, arts, crafts and sports activities for more than 320 completed feedback forms. It also featured local authorities, community groups and partner organisations running stalls and activities.
- An online survey and email and telephone options were available.
How local people told us their opinions
This is how 611 local people told us what they thought:
- 326 people have their feedback at Party for Paulsgrove
- 136 people commented online
- 104 came to our pop-up engagement stalls in Allaway Avenue shopping precinct
- 35 people left feedback forms in comment boxes
- 7 people emailed us their feedback
- 3 people gave their feedback over the phone
What people said was important to them:
Children and families (174 comments)
- More activities for children and families (71 comments)
- More facilities for children and families (44 comments)
- More clubs for children and families (33 comments)
- Soft play and other play areas (21 comments)
- More support for local families (5 comments)
Sport, fitness and games (173 comments)
- Add more sport and exercise classes, clubs and groups (64 comments)
- Improve sports offer (53 comments)
- Swimming pool (28 comments)
- Improve gym offer (20 comments)
- Improve games offer (8 comments)
Clubs and events (127 comments)
- Improve social and community offer (88 comments)
- Improve arts and culture offer (39 comments)
What did people say about:
The community centre (76 comments)
- Better advertising of activities and offers (20 comments)
- Modernise centre and facilities (15 comments)
- Disco or party space for socialising (10 comments)
- Positive comments about the community centre (9 comments)
- Affordable room hire (7 comments)
- Facilities and activities for all ages (5 comments)
- Enlarge centre and improve design (4 comments)
- Community stage and music equipment (3 comments)
- Improve toilets (2 comments)
- Wouldn’t use a community centre (1 comment)
Teenagers (74 comments)
- More age appropriate, free and enriching activities (24 comments)
- Keep teenagers off the streets by offering activities (19 comments)
- Youth club (13 comments)
- Expanded youth services and groups (12 comments)
- Food and drink offer for teenagers (2 comments)
- More family entertainment activities (2 comments)
- Learning and skills support for teenagers (1 comments)
- Graffiti wall (1 comment)
Outdoor space (58 comments)
- Improve local parks, play equipment and skate park (23 comments)
- Preserve or improve green space (19 comments)
- Improve local outdoor sports offer (16 comments)
Café, food and drink (56 comments)
- Preserve or improve the café offer (25 comments)
- More varied food options (23 comments)
- More varied drink options (8 comments)
Library (35 comments)
- Improve book, story-teller and reading group offer (15 comments)
- Bigger, better library (13 comments)
- More library activities, services and events (7 comments)
Shops and local amenities (35 comments)
- More not-for-profit facilities (20 comments)
- More food and drink outlets (11 comments)
- More businesses (4 comments)
Babies and toddlers (33 comments)
- More groups for babies and toddlers (21 comments)
- More facilities for babies and toddlers (12 comments)
Accessibility, inclusion, equality and diversity (24 comments)
- Accessible for everyone (10 comments)
- SEND clubs and activities (10 comments)
- Inclusive for all (4 comments)
Parking, transport, roads and footpaths (24 comments)
- Improve parking (12 comments)
- Improve roads and footpaths (9 comments)
- Improve public transport (3 comments)
Location, design, quality and layout (23 comments)
- Other locations suggested (8 comments)
- Keep the community centre where it is (6 comments)
- Layout, footprint and access (6 comments)
- Move to a new location (3 comments)
Crime and anti-social behaviour (21 comments)
- More police presence and liaison (8 comments)
- Reduce crime, particularly knife crime (7 comments)
- Deal with electric bikes and scramblers (2 comments)
- Improved CCTV coverage (2 comments)
- Night time safety (2 comments)
Service and skills (21 comments)
- Classes and courses (14 comments)
- Advice and support groups (7 comments)
Splash park and sand park (21 comments)
- Design (14 comments)
- Opening hours (7 comments)
Elderly people (19 comments)
- More social activities and groups for older people (14 comments)
- Dinners and evening groups for older people (5 comments)
Feedback on Party for Paulsgrove (19 comments)
- Positive feedback (18 comments)
- Constructive Criticism (1 comment)
Paulsgrove (15 comments)
- Positive comments about Paulsgrove (7 comments)
- Suggested improvements to Paulsgrove (6 comments)
- Negative comments about Paulsgrove (2 comments)
Environment (13 comments)
- Bins, litter and maintenance (9 comments)
- Eco-friendly build (4 comments)
Landscaping (12 comments)
- Plant more trees, flowers and a community garden (10 comments)
- Improve landscaping (2 comments)
Dogs (11 comments)
- Make the development dog friendly (6 comments)
- Include a dog park (5 comments)
Health and wellbeing (11 comments)
- Mental health (5 comments)
- Community support (3 comments)
- Healthy eating (2 comments)
- Wellbeing (1 comments)
Based on what local people have told us, we will:
- Design a high quality, modern, energy efficient facility.
- Design a flexible facility that enables a wide and diverse programme of activities to benefit the health and wellbeing of everybody in the local community.
- Include sport, fitness, and social facilities that meet all of the varied needs of local people of all ages and abilities.
- Preserve as much green space and as many trees as possible and include space for exercising dogs.
- Ensure that the scheme promotes sustainable transport and has as low an impact as possible on parking and traffic congestion in the local area.
- Include a food and drink offer that provides a safe, social space for the local community.
- Share the feedback we have collected with partner health, youth and play services.
- Speak to the police about ways to use our design to relieve anti-social behaviour and crime issues in the local area.
- Keep the local community at the heart of the design and build process.
What happens next?
We will take what you have told us is most important to you and we will use that information to help guide us as we move through the design and build process.
We will bring these plans to show you as soon as they are ready. At that stage we will ask you what you think of the plans, what you like about them and what you would like to see improved. This will all be done before we apply for planning permission for the development
Any questions?
Please contact Tim Raw by emailing tim.raw@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or by calling 07901 100 537