Southsea Sea Defences: Design of scheme approved despite claims of it resembling as a 'skatepark'

Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee discussed design elements of the fourth phase of the Southsea coastal scheme, which stretches between Long Curtain Moat and Eastney. Members, including transport cabinet member Councillor Gerald Vernon Jackson, raised concerns about soft landscaping, outdoor furniture, and public art. He described the benches, some of which have ramped ends, as “bizarre” and “an absolute invitation to ride scooters up them”. He then suggested that the plans should come back to the committee once the benches have been redesigned “so we don’t make a scooter assault course all the way down the seafront”.

In response officers said the benches were designed to reflect the “windswept nature of the coastal environment”. Councillor Vernon-Jackson withdrew his request after committee members pointed out that the inclusion of metal studs and armrests would discourage skateboarders and scooter riders. It was noted that feature walls, showcasing local art, were no longer part of the planning application and instead, will be delivered through the council’s culture and leisure team.

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Cllr Judith Smyth raised doubt as to whether the council could deliver art installations “given the parlous state of public finances” and asked whether the artworks would require planning permission. She then welcomed the designs, expressing admiration towards the zonal design of the defences which provide a varied feel and atmosphere along the seafront. “The sea defence team should be really proud of the fact that people like what’s being done so much that they’re not picking up on the agreements that there were about art,” she said.

It was noted that the committee wouldn’t need planning permission to introduce more interpretive boards and art installations at a later date. Listed monuments, such as the Shannon Naval Brigade, Trafalgar Memorial, Trident Memorial, Aboukir Memorial and Chesapeake Memorial, would be carefully dismantled and stored while the works are carried out.

The defences are being built along a 2.8-mile section of the coast, aimed to protect 4,000 homes from rising sea levels – permissions were granted in 2019.