Plans to demolish Debenhams in Portsmouth's city centre revealed
A MAJOR Portsmouth store could be demolished, making way for a ‘key opportunity’ to redevelop the city centre.
Plans have been revealed to knock down the former Debenhams in Commercial Road, which was last open for business before the winter lockdown.
The national chain announced it would not be reopening its Portsmouth site in January along with five other branches across the country.
Now developer Phil Salmon Planning Ltd has made a bid to the city council to demolish the building that occupies an area of 4,500 sq m.
As part of the application it is made clear that the site could be used, alongside the closed Station Street car park, for a ‘major’ regeneration project – but no details are given.
In a demolition statement Phil Salmon Planning Ltd said: 'Discussions between the site owners, their development team, and planning officers are taking place regarding the redevelopment of the site for a major city centre regeneration project.
'The site will remain a key opportunity for the regeneration of the city centre. It is anticipated that draft proposals for the redevelopment of the site will be the subject of forthcoming consultation with the public before being formally submitted as a planning application.'
On January 25 this year it was announced all Debenhams stores nationwide would be closing, after the company was bought by Boohoo for £55m.
It came after the Debenhams store in Palmerston Road, in Southsea, closed in January 2020.
Since then plans have been approved to convert the site into 134 flats - with a GP surgery, dental practice and other commercial units on its ground floor.