New houses, a museum and... a gin distillery? Plan to restore old MoD site is given the green light

PLANS for an £11m investment to build 30 houses, an armed forces museum and an alcohol distillery on a historic site have been approved.
What the Proof House at Priddy's Hard would look like, with plans to transform it into a distillery. 
Picture: PNBPTWhat the Proof House at Priddy's Hard would look like, with plans to transform it into a distillery. 
Picture: PNBPT
What the Proof House at Priddy's Hard would look like, with plans to transform it into a distillery. Picture: PNBPT

The Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust (PNBPT) and Elite Homes aim to transform Priddy’s Hard in Gosport – turning this historic MoD base into a site for modern housing, while restoring the old buildings to provide a new museum and a distillery to produce rum, gin and whisky.

Sold by Gosport Borough Council back in 2009, the site includes an old shell store, shifting house and mines and countermeasures store.

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The plans would see the former cookhouse demolished for four three-storey homes, with 17 homes built in the southern demi-bastion.

Three of the 30 homes would also be holiday dwellings.

Peter Goodship, from PNBPT, said: ‘The buildings will look exactly the same as they did in the past – the new homes will look very modern but the historical buildings will be properly restored.

‘We will create 19 permanent jobs, with 70 more jobs during the construction – as well as providing an initial economic impact of more than £6.3m.

‘We’re in this for the long haul – it’s great for Gosport, great for the harbour, and will show that even the most challenging of historical sites can be restored to their former glory.’

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Cllr Piers Bateman said: ‘It’s good to see us returning to producing rum, gin and whiskey.

‘This is a once in a generation opportunity to do something positive with a historical site like this.’

Cllr John Beavis MBE said: ‘Here today we have an application that has eight listed buildings that will be saved and introduces a coastal forces museum which is very much a part of our history and will be a great addition to this area.’

Construction work for this first phase is expected to take 18 months, with a second application to be given to the council at a later date.