Preview of new look for Commercial Road
The first sketch of how a £6m revamp of Portsmouth's main shopping street could look is revealed here.
The planned makeover of Commercial Road, which could become a tree-lined avenue with an area reserved for street entertainment, is set to be carried out in 2008 and 2009, to make sure it blends in with the new 350m Northern Quarter development.
City bosses say it will make the shopping centre a feature the city 'can be proud of'.
It will mean a new home for the city centre market in nearby Edinburgh Road, which will complete a journey from its initial home in Charlotte Street, via the current location
in Commercial Road.
Council bosses plan to pedestrianise Edinburgh Road, removing the bus stops and taxi ranks and putting in a permanent and larger market.
On the junction between Edinburgh Road and Commercial Road there will be a performance area, possibly with a canopy.
The bus stops will be moved to Unicorn Road, Stanhope Street and Station Road, and there will be a new taxi rank at the end of Edinburgh Road.
After the southern revamp is completed in November 2008, the market will be moved and the northern part of Commercial Road will be given a facelift in time for the opening of the Northern Quarter in 2009.
The whole project is being paid for by the city council and Northern Quarter developers Centros Miller on a 50/50 basis.
Liberal Democrat economic development boss Cllr Mike Hancock said: 'This will create a new entrance to the city centre which will look really good and give us all something we can really be proud of.
'It's not going to be easy, but what we are is something that West Quay is not, which is a city centre that provides a great shopping experience and is more than just a collection of shops with car parking.'
Market traders have been unhappy about the move from their current location in Commercial Road, which has been driven by John Lewis bosses insisting they did not want the market outside their new store.
Tory spokesman Cllr Simon Bosher warned: 'When we design this we need to make sure we design out opportunities for crime.
'We need to look at the proposals and provide a safe city centre.'
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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