Portsmouth Commercial Road regeneration scheme start date announced in council effort to bring people to city centre

As previously reported, Portsmouth City Council is planning to improve Commercial Road – installing features like new seating, more planting, play equipment for children, new cycle stands, and a pavement graphic by local artist Angela Chick – in an effort to draw more people back to the high street.

With funding from the government's Future High Street Fund, the authority plans to revitalise the road’s northern end – between Craswell Street and Lake Road - in a bid to make ‘a more vibrant, welcoming and greener city centre’. The project forms part of wider regeneration plans for the city centre, but Commercial Road was chosen as a point of focus following feedback from residents, retailers, market traders and community groups, the council has said.

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Now, the council has announced that construction work on the project will begin on Monday, January 8 and is hoped to be complete by the end of March 2024. During this time, there will be some restricted access to the area, although shops will remain open. Changes will include new seating, more planting, play equipment for children, new cycle stands, and a pavement graphic by local artist, Angela Chick, following a local competition in collaboration with the council safer streets programme.

Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of the council with responsibility for culture, leisure, and economic development, said: "This is an important first step forward in making improvements to our city centre and a great way to start 2024. Our successful bid for Future High Streets funding means we can begin to create a more vibrant, welcoming and greener city centre for all to enjoy."

According to the council, the planned arrangements for this space aim to promote physical activity and recreation in the upper section of Commercial Road. Existing trees will be retained, and new beds will be planted underneath, whilst the trees removed earlier this year due to disease will also be replaced. The project has scheduled continuous maintenance of the new equipment following completion, and PCC will also be installing several CCTV cameras that have been provided by the safer streets fund to protect the new equipment and ensure a safer environment for visitors.

You can find more information about the project at www.portsmouthcitycentre.co.uk/central/future-high-streets/.