Details of vision begin to emerge
Pompey say their ambitious plans for a new 36,000-seater stadium are the most practical yet.
But what will it mean for Horsea Island and Portsmouth as a whole?
Transport
Pompey have not yet come up with a formal transport plan for the stadium but claim they are confident fans will be able to get there.
When the stadium plans were revealed last October, Pompey bosses promised a park-and-ride in Tipner with 2,000 spaces.
This is still in the pipeline, along with plans for improved bus links. Architects have also proposed bridges over Tipner Lake for pedestrians and cyclists, and even a tunnel under the water.
Barry Ostle, from Sellar Property Group, which is working with Pompey on the stadium plans, said: 'One of the biggest problems is traffic but this site will take most of it out of the city.'
He said the club had not ruled out more extreme ideas, such as ferries shipping passengers from the south of the island and Fareham and Gosport around to the stadium, or a new train station at Paulsgrove.
The navy
The navy scuppered Pompey's proposed stadium at The Hard after raising concerns about the security of its supercarriers. But it is working in partnership with the club over the scheme at Horsea Island, which is home to a Navy dive school, and has agreed to give up the north and west edges of the island.
In return Pompey will build them a new dive school on the southern edge.
The development will be built in phases so diving operations can continue.
Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie said: 'Unfortunately the plans for The Hard had to be shelved because of issues relating around the navy that were simply not foreseen at the time.
'We have worked closely with the navy in identifying this site and we will continue to work closely together.'
Base commander Commodore David Steel said he was delighted to be working on the 'exciting new stadium'.
Shops
The club revealed yesterday it plans to build shops at both the Horsea Island and Fratton Park sites to help pay for the stadium.
Until now plans only included housing, but Sellar's development director Barry Ostle said the current economic climate left them with no choice but to try and attract extra investment from retailers.
At the Horsea Island site the shops will span the edge of the M275.
The club has offered guarantees they will not be fashion stores in a bid to combat concerns from the city council that the development could rival the 500m Northern Quarter project. They have not yet revealed brands they hope to attract.
Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson said: 'They need to explain what effect this will have on other parts of the city. From what they are saying I don't think it will conflict with what we are trying to achieve in the city centre'.
Homes
A major part of the stadium plan will see hundreds of new homes at both Fratton Park and Horsea Island.
Pompey aren't revealing numbers, but say there could be 700 to 800 homes near the stadium with 200 in Fratton. The money from the homes will finance the 100m stadium, as well as boosting the club's coffers long-term.
The Horsea Island homes promise to be swanky and stylish, with Sellar's development director Barry Ostle dubbing it the 'Sandbanks of Portsmouth'.
Jayne Barlow, from architects Herzog & de Meuron, said: 'We are at the conception stage where we are talking about ideas which we will develop in more detail. It is very important all of the enabling development is of high quality and connects with the stadium.'
Portsmouth City Council has raised concerns that no affordable housing will be built on the Horsea Island site.
Fratton Park
The current stadium site will be transformed into a huge housing and shopping development.
About 200 low-rise homes at a maximum of four storeys high will be built where the pitch and terraces are currently. These are expected to meet the club's affordable housing requirement.
The car park near the Pompey Centre is earmarked for retail development, although the club has said this will be in keeping with the area and not high-street fashion stores.
The club plans to keep Victorian parts of the stands and incorporate them in the new development of family homes.
It will also keep part of the Fratton park pitch for use as a children's play area.
Sellar's development director Barry Ostle said: 'We have never been interested in developing high-rise blocks of flats that seem to pop up on every corner of Portsmouth.'Design
Simplicity is the key to the new stadium, according to architects.
After the failed project at The Hard they say they went back to the drawing board and started from scratch.
The design is based on the concept of a simple bowl surrounded by supportive poles designed to look like willowy trees to reflect the park the stadium will be set in.
Inside, different areas of the stadium will be separated by thin, veil-like panels, and in some areas actual curtains will be used.
Jayne Barlow, from architects Herzog & de Meuron, said: 'We went back to basics. It is very different from previous schemes.
'Nothing is complex and it is extremely simple.
'It is a giant bowl. It is elegant and does not have the feel of a rigid structure – it has got poetry.'
Urban park
The stadium and arena will be set in what Pompey are calling an 'urban park'.
Designers want the area surrounding the stadium to be used all year round – not just on match days.
Jayne Barlow, from architects Herzog & de Meuron, said: 'Obviously the site is predominantly landfill and the first thought was that was going to be a big constraint, but is actually a great opportunity as it is the perfect form of landscaping.'
Previous plans for a stadium in Farlington were scuppered as the land was a breeding ground for protected Brent geese.
'We know there is bio-diversity on the site, and we want all the elements to connect in an urban park that will protect and enhance the area,' she said.
'This could be the key to unlocking the northern part of the city and joining it to Portsmouth itself.'
World Cup
Current plans are for a 36,000-seater
stadium – the same capacity as what would have been built at The Hard if the plan had gone ahead.
But if Pompey want to be part of England's 2018 World Cup bid,the
stadium needs to be big enough to meet targets set by FIFA, the organising body behind the competition.
The lightweight roof and simple design means extra seating can be added to bring the stadium size up 45,000 seats for a World Cup arena.
This would be in the form of temporary stands, similar to the London Olympic stadium, which has a sunken bowl and a lower tier with 25,000 permanent seats, and 55,000 seats on an upper level to be removed afterwards.
Chief executive Peter Storrie even said the stadium might increase in size permanently in the future depending on the club's success.
Hotel
In addition to the stadium the club has revealed plans for a 10,000-seater arena as part of the development which will play host to pop concerts, conferences and public exhibitions.
Developers say the arena could be the key to attracting a long-sought top hotel chain to the area, boosting tourism and visitor numbers as well as generating new jobs.
Barry Ostle, from the Sellar group, said: 'Portsmouth City Council has been trying to attract a major hotel for years unsuccessfully.
'Up until now they have struggled to get one into the centre of the city.
'Once you have got a four- or five-star hotel the profile of the city rises and it creates another level of employment and offers another reason to come to Portsmouth.
'This offers opportunities to put a hotel alongside the arena.'
Planning process
The next step for the club is to submit a planning application. Developers say this will be delivered in stages.
The re-development of the Fratton Park site will be the first to go before councillors as the money from that is needed to plough back into stadium plans.
The new stadium will be next after issues such as transport plans and environmental assessments are complete.
The city council has 13 weeks from when all of the planning documents are received to make a decision.
The government can call in the decision if it feels the development is too big for the council to decide on alone, and could order a planning inquiry.
The club says it hopes to submit an application within six months with work getting underway next year and construction of the stadium starting in 2010. This would keep Pompey on track for an
opening ahead of the 2011/12 season.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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