COMMENT: Buying Tricorn site will help city centre transformation

The site was Tarmaced over and ever since it has served as a car park.

But there's always been the sense that this was a temporary measure while discussions took place about what to do with this prime piece of land.

It sounds odd to say that a temporary measure has lasted for 18 years, but that's what has happened as various city centre regeneration schemes have been trumpeted but then failed to get off architects' drawing boards.

So it is heartening to report today that the important site close to Commercial Road and across the road from the naval base has been purchased by Portsmouth City Council.

This is the council's second major land acquisition in the city centre following its purchase of the former Sainsbury's site on Commercial Road last year.

It all means that the council is much better placed to protect an important area of the city and also to drive forward development over which it now has more control as the landowner.

Council leader Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson believes it's a great opportunity to make much-needed improvements to the city centre shopping experience and to the City Centre North and City Centre South areas.

The creation of a large, public park is at the heart of the plans, alongside the development of around 2,000 new homes.

We agree with him. Other cities have stolen a march on Portsmouth and have a more modern offering. It's time our city centre caught up.

We look forward to a planning application being submitted and urge people to take part in the consultation process and help shape the city centre of the future.