Portsmouth residents come together to create a mural of ideas as search for name of building to replace Horatia and Leamington Houses begins

The You Name It community event saw hundreds of Somerstown people gather together for arts and crafts, coffee and cakes while local artist Emma Paxton came up with name ideas to create a three metre long mural in the café at Somerstown Central (the Hub).

The You Name It mural will now be mounted on the wall of the Somerstown Central café until it can be moved into the new housing development that will replace the Earlsdon Street and Meriden Road blocks.

Mural creator Emma said: ‘We've had a lot of fun. There are so many people here - it's really heart-warming to see. This place has been full of children and adults all day and we've been given the most amazing ideas.

‘Some of the themes for the names have been based on local history, 'city by the sea' and our community. There's a been a really positive atmosphere the whole time and we've had people creating fridge magnets, named photo frames and collage boxes that they will take home with them.’

Councillor Darren Sanders, member for housing and preventing homelessness, said: ‘This is what the Horatia and Leamington Houses project has been about right from the very beginning - bringing the local community together to lead a project that will make real improvements to Somerstown.’

The project to carefully, and safely, bring down Horatia and Leamington Houses is progressing well and is due to be completed in the second half of this year.

Tearful former residents of Horatia House described their emotions at watching a crane lift the first panel from the block in November.

The council has also hosted a Forest of Somerstown community art session, a lighting workshop and a play and plant event in the area surrounding the blocks, to find out how people want the site improved.

A community panel – made up of local residents, businesses, charities and former residents of the blocks – is helping the council and the design team to put together the plans.

The council and the Horatia and Leamington Houses Community Panel have said that they will create a high quality, sustainable, mixed-use urban neighbourhood. The community panel – which is at the centre of both the deconstruction and redevelopment projects – has been meeting every month since March 2021.

Watch the community event here: vimeo.com/686403417

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To join the community panel or ask questions about the project call Tim Raw on 07901 100537 or email [email protected]

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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