Coffee shop teams up with councillors to revitalise Southsea street

Broadway Coffee Roasters, located on Highland Road, has recently unveiled an outdoor seating area as part of the Pompey Parklet scheme.

The initiative was originally led by councillors Charlotte Gerada and George Fielding. This is their second successful installation, following their first parklet on Albert Road, which launched in October 2023.

The new parklet features two verandas, circular benches, planters, and extended seating areas designed to refresh the public space.

In a social media post, Broadway described the unveiling as “years in the making”, adding that the planning process “wasn’t easy” and involved “significant challenges” from Portsmouth City Council’s planning department, resulting in “disheartening setbacks”.

However, the coffee shop pushed ahead, motivated by a desire to create “greener, more welcoming public spaces”.

“These parklets aren’t just installations, they’re symbols of perseverance and community love,” the post added.

Cllr Gerada said the challenges stemmed from the lack of a clear process or precedent for such a project, along with limited guidance.

“But our persistence paid off,” she said.

“As well as the commitment and vision of Duane Bradshaw, the owner of Broadway Coffee in particular, who is a passionate advocate for reviving high streets.

“Our collective vision has always been to bring the ‘Broadway’ back to life in that area, inject some much-needed greenery, install community seating and support for local businesses.”

Cllr Fielding added: “With Portsmouth being such a built-up city and lacking in green spaces, parklets transform under-used urban spaces to create community seating, provide resting stops and enhance diversity – they are good for the public, nature and businesses.

“Please pay a visit and enjoy the parklet in the summer sunshine!”