Family devastated by Eastney house fire battling planning objections over dream £1m 'forever home' project in Old Portsmouth
Businessman Jason Phillips and his wife Kate were left without a home last year after a wood burner on their neighbour's balcony in Centurion Gate, Eastney, started a blaze that ripped through their rented four-storey town house.
The couple, who have lived in Portsmouth since 1988, were forced to live with a relative separately from their two sons Nat, 20, and Toby, 19, after the fire completely gutted their home of five years.
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Hide AdDevastated at losing precious sentimental items, including Kate’s wedding dress and their children's first shoes, the family saw a ray of light with the chance to build a two-floor penthouse with three bedrooms on three-storey Fontenoy House in Grand Parade, Old Portsmouth.
FLASHBACK: Townhouse badly damaged in third-floor blaze
The rest of the building would also be renovated with a new facade and lift as they own the freehold. Planners have recommended refusing permission.
Kate, 49, said: ‘(The fire) was absolutely devastating. It effectively split up our family, which I was really upset about.
‘I remember the feeling of panic as the alarm went off.
‘We were just lucky that no one was hurt but we lost everything except from a few sentimental items.’
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Hide AdShe added: 'The opportunity came up and we thought that would be really exciting to build a home from scratch.
‘It will finally feel like we have a home again.'
Her husband Jason, 50, said: 'It was particularly sad because Toby had lived in that road most of his life - we used to live next door to that house for 10 years as well.'
But the plans have received mixed views from people in the area – with 44 objections and 27 letters of support.
Jason added: 'What I don't think residents of Old Portsmouth understand is we're not developers looking to make a profit.
‘We want to make this our forever home.
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Hide Ad'We plan to put a new facade on the building, install a lift for all the residents to use, refurbish the halls and replace some of the windows.
‘This will all be at our own cost.'
The block already has permission for a two flat extension that was approved in 2014 when it was submitted by a Chichester-based developer.
Councillors at Portsmouth City Council will consider the plans on Wednesday, September 11.