Old Commercial Road Debenhams site will not include student accomodation as developer reveals updated skyscraper plans

Instead, fresh plans have been drawn up which will see new homes created within the skyscraper for local residents, as well as shops and other much-needed community facilities. It follows a “clear message” which came from local people who were consulted on the Jubilee Place project – at the former site of the former department store in Commercial Road - also expressed a desire for “housing for local people” of “quality design” with “quality amenity space” as well as parking and public transport links.

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The initial proposal, announced last December, stated that the redeveloped site would provide 1,800sqm of ground floor retails space with 3,600 sqm of commercial space above it with pedestrian links across the site. More than 400 homes, which would include an unspecified amount of ‘affordable key worker housing’, were to be included as well as student accommodation. 7,000 leaflets were distributed to within a 1km radius of the Debenhams site inviting people to come and have their say on the plans, with more than 300 responses recorded.

Now, Isle of Wight based developer Phil Salmon Ltd has completely ruled out student accomodation at the site and said the focus will instead be on accommodating “professionals” and allowing for graduates to stay in the city. The residential properties will follow a private rental scheme model.

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The new proposal for the planned 38-storey building will see it accommodate ground floor retail units, commercial space and “high value residential apartments”. It also includes a five storey building comprising more retail units and apartments, and two more residential apartment blocks - one standing 24 storeys tall and the other 16. The latest draft plans and technical documents for the project were submitted last month, with a new outline planning application due to be submitted in January or February 2024.

A statement on the Jubilee Place project website reads: “Portsmouth City Centre has suffered from the recent changes in retail markets and the closure of major stores throughout the COVID pandemic. The site is not only large enough to provide modern shopping units, but can also accommodate other uses to meet the needs of the local community and the city. The site can not only re-provide modern shopping units, but it is large enough to be able to accommodate other uses to meet the needs of the city and the local community.”

Debenhams in Commercial Road shut in 2021 after 243 years in business after the company collapsed amid the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile work to redevelop another former Debenhams – in Southsea’s Palmerston Road – has also begun with developers planning to create flats and shops at the site, which will be called Handleys Corner.