Extension plans for Portsmouth leisure centre deferred over parking concerns

Proposals to expand Wimbledon Park Sports Centre, in Southsea, went before Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee earlier this week.

But councillors raised a number of concerns over parking within the application which would see three spaces lost.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson recommended the committee visit the leisure centre to see how the loss of spaces would impact the site and nearby residents.

He said: ‘That is the only thing I worry about, everything else about the application looks fine.’

Members voted for the site visit and the application was postponed to a later meeting.

Councillor Steve Pitt agreed parking was an issue.

‘It wasn’t just about the reduction in car parking that was a concern with this application,’ he said.

‘It was about the improvements of the facility increasing the amount of footfall which could mean more of the spaces are used by the centre which would increase parking pressures on adjacent streets.’

As previously reported in The News, BH Live, which runs the leisure facility, had submitted an application to build a single-storey extension to provide a new reception, office and open plan gym area.

Objections had been raised by the highways authority about parking.