Electric bus depot at the former News Centre site looks set to be approved by Portsmouth planners

A recommendation to approve the planning application is due to go before Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee next week for the site which will support FirstGroup’s fleet of 100 electric buses, all powered by renewable energy.

The depot will be located on the southern part of the former News Centre site, replacing the current depot on London Road, just 200 metres away on the opposite side of the road. The site will mainly be used for bus parking and includes 37 car parking spaces, with three for disabled drivers and 12 for electric vehicle chargers.

To reduce noise, a 2.8-metre-high acoustic fence will be built along the southern edge of the site, protecting nearby homes, especially those on Arras Road. Originally, the plan included a new signalised junction at the main access point, but this raised concerns from National Highways. The plan was revised to keep the existing ‘left in’ and ‘left out’ access from London Road, resolving objections.

Planning officers have recommended the proposal, saying, “The proposal successfully balances the need for better public transport and the benefits of sustainability and improved air quality with the site’s setting and character.”

Neighbours were notified, with the public consultation ending on July 12. There are currently two objecting and supporting comments each and six neutral comments from members of the public.

One local resident said: “If passed, this development would provide a much-needed facility for the area and the city as a whole. It is ideally situated on one of the main routes in and out of the city and it is hard to think of a more suitable location than the old News Centre site.

“It is, after all, right next to the site of the old Southdown bus station, now occupied by a block of flats. Please give our comments serious consideration when making your decision. Thank you for giving us the chance to make our views known.”

Opponents of the scheme had raised concerns about the demolition of the former News Centre, which ceased operations in 2013, for heritage preservation reasons. However the site has now been largely flattened with just one small portion of the building remaining.

The council’s planning committee will discuss the project on July 31.