It's good to have positive news about North End

It's fair to say that North End in Portsmouth has had more than its fair share of travails.

First, in 2012 the city council spent £400,000 widening the footpaths with the aim of improving the area.

But that came at the cost of losing parking along London Road.

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Traders soon realised that meant people who would normally stop their cars for a moment to pop into a shop wouldn’t be doing that any more.

So then the city council spent a further £100,000 putting back in some parking bays to tackle that problem.

In tandem with this, the area has lost a number of big stores, culminating in the closure of the flagship Co-op supermarket.

It shut in October last year and the site has yet to be taken on by a new trader.

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All of this means it’s good to be able to bring you some positive news about North End, as we do today on page 11.

Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt is optimistic about the future and we share that view.

Yes, it might be the start of a journey, but at least the wheels are in motion.

Travel agent Thomson has ploughed thousands into revamping its store.

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And the former British Heart Foundation store on the corner of Stubbington Avenue has been converted into 27 flats.

Both of these are signs that it’s an area on the up. Investment is being made and money tends to follow money.

As Ms Mordaunt says, areas such as North End have long played second fiddle to the commercial heart of the city.

But we can only hope this is the start of a rebirth that will help get North End back on track and thriving.