Bridge Bookshop in Fratton's Bridge Shopping Centre looking for new home as Portsmouth City Council looks to redevelop site

Shirley Lunn, who runs The Bridge Bookshop in Fratton’s Bridge Shopping Centre, said that she was shocked when a representative from Portsmouth City Council came into the shop to inform her the unit is needed for office space. It follows the local authority’s purchase of the shopping centre in September, as part of a plan to boost the local economy. Owner Shirley is now considering options for the bookshop – which opened in 2021 – but said she wants to stay put.

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According to Shirley, following the takeover she was told “not to worry” about her lease agreement at the centre, and that her rent going forward will simply be paid to the council rather than former landlords Asda. Shirley told The News her current lease is not due to run out until July 2024, but that the council has said that it plans to turn her shop into offices.

She said the council has offered to help her relocate into a nearby unit in the centre – a currently vacant site which formerly housed takeaway Icy Spicy – but Shirley does not think that it will be suitable. She said the current shop has taken two years of hard work to develop and is laid out in a way which accommodates prams and mobility scooters – as well as the large volume of books.

Shirley said: “It’s like taking over a library and putting it into a one bed flat.” She will get the chance to visit Icy Spicy on December 8 and said she is open to negotiating.

The council claims the unit “needs to generate a better income” and “can be converted into an office space which will generate a higher income” – but says the bookshop has not been given an eviction notice.

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A council spokesperson said: “The recent purchase of the Bridge Centre in Fratton is part of the council's long-term regeneration plans for the city's high streets to unlock new opportunities for businesses and residents. As a council we do have a responsibility to ensure the Bridge Centre generates income to cover its costs.

"The current unit occupied by the Bridge Centre Bookshop is one of the larger units that needs to generate a better income for this investment to work. This unit can be converted into an office space which will generate a higher income to support other community projects in the Bridge Centre.

"The bookshop has not been given notice to leave its current unit. We are working with the Bridge Centre Bookshop to find a mutually beneficial solution. For no charge this includes a move to the next largest unit available in the Bridge Centre for the retail part of the business, plus use of a new community learning space within the Bridge Centre and further storage facilities in the neighbouring Victory Business Centre.

"We are also working closely with community organisations to bring new services to the Bridge Centre that will benefit both local residents and existing businesses. These include a baby bank, community pantry and retro gaming centre which will include outreach workshops for schools and SEN.”