Gosport woman wants to see 'ghost town' high street transformed to bring people back to high street

A WOMAN wants to see ‘ghost town’ town centre transformed to bring people back to the high street.

By Joe Buncle

Published 4th Jan 2023, 06:00 BST

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A woman in Gosport has shared her dismay at the state of her town, with a petition listing improvements she feels could ‘save’ it.

In a petition posted to change.org, 21-year-old Georgia Browne wrote: ‘When I was a little girl growing up in Gosport, I remember the town being filled with shops and my mum dragging me round every single one.’

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Georgia Browne, 21, thinks Gosport has gone down hill since her childhood and has compiled a list of changes she feels could save the town. She is pictured in Gosport High Street.

1st January 2023

Photograph by Sam Stephenson — Georgia Browne, 21, thinks Gosport has gone down hill since her childhood and has compiled a list of changes she feels could save the town. She is pictured in Gosport High Street. 1st January 2023 Photograph by Sam Stephenson

Georgia Browne, 21, thinks Gosport has gone down hill since her childhood and has compiled a list of changes she feels could save the town. She is pictured in Gosport High Street.

1st January 2023

Photograph by Sam Stephenson — Georgia Browne, 21, thinks Gosport has gone down hill since her childhood and has compiled a list of changes she feels could save the town. She is pictured in Gosport High Street. 1st January 2023 Photograph by Sam Stephenson

‘Now at 21 years old, Gosport town is somewhere where ghosts live and tumbleweed rolls across. There are hardly any shops in Gosport that attract people and bring in revenue.’

Georgia’s suggestions include the addition of shops like Primark, Flying Tiger, Smiggle and The Body Shop as well as a community centre, museum and a range of eateries and cafes.

The 21-year-old, who works in telecommunications in Portchester, said: ‘The only good thing about it now is that you can take the ferry. For families there's just the museums, and talking from my perspective, they’re not great to bring tourists down.’

Georgia described responses to her ideas, which she shared in the Gosport Aware Facebook group as ‘mixed’ but expressed that places like Fareham have also been reduced to ‘just vape shops and little cafes.’

Georgia Browne, 21, thinks Gosport has gone down hill since her childhood and has compiled a list of changes she feels could save the town. She is pictured in Gosport High Street.

1st January 2023

Photograph by Sam Stephenson. — Georgia Browne, 21, thinks Gosport has gone down hill since her childhood and has compiled a list of changes she feels could save the town. She is pictured in Gosport High Street. 1st January 2023 Photograph by Sam Stephenson.

Georgia Browne, 21, thinks Gosport has gone down hill since her childhood and has compiled a list of changes she feels could save the town. She is pictured in Gosport High Street.

1st January 2023

Photograph by Sam Stephenson. — Georgia Browne, 21, thinks Gosport has gone down hill since her childhood and has compiled a list of changes she feels could save the town. She is pictured in Gosport High Street. 1st January 2023 Photograph by Sam Stephenson.

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Gosport Borough Council leader Peter Chegwyn said he supports Georgia’s petition and that regenerating the town is the council’s ‘number one priority’.

Councillor Chegwyn said: ‘The town centre, like all town centres, has been decaying for years.We are looking as a council this year to bring life back into the town, not just the high street but Stoke Road as well.

‘The future for Gosport town centre has got to rely on small independent businesses and the council is determined to do everything we can to support them in very tough times.’

Pictured is: Leader of Liberal Democrats Peter Chegwyn (2 years) elected for Forton ward.

Picture: Sarah Standing — Pictured is: Leader of Liberal Democrats Peter Chegwyn (2 years) elected for Forton ward. Picture: Sarah Standing

Pictured is: Leader of Liberal Democrats Peter Chegwyn (2 years) elected for Forton ward.

Picture: Sarah Standing — Pictured is: Leader of Liberal Democrats Peter Chegwyn (2 years) elected for Forton ward. Picture: Sarah Standing

Cllr Chegwyn also expressed the ‘harsh reality’ that the sort of large chains listed in Georgia’s petition are no longer interested in small town centres.

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He added: ‘My message to petition users is to use your local shops rather than just complain.’

The council recently reinstated one hour free parking in six town centre car parks to encourage people into the town centre and in 2021 published a draft local plan to regenerate several parts of Gosport by 2038.

Gosport Portchester