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CAMPAIGNERS fear a historic Portsmouth building could be demolished to make way for homes, despite a promise from the city council to reconsider its plan.

Alvin Edyvane, who has led efforts to save the former records office in Old Portsmouth, said the council seemed ‘dead set’ on redeveloping it.

‘We had enormous support for not demolishing the building and finding an alternative use for it but it took a lot of pushing for the council to do anything,’ he said. ‘I’ve offered to bring in people to assess the condition of the building and am willing to do everything it takes to save it and bring it back into use as it is.

‘But it seems the council is dead set on demolishing it because they see it as somewhere in a prime area for development. They have let it deteriorate since 2010 to that end.’

The records office in Museum Road, Old Portsmouth, that could be demolished to make way for new homes, and left, Stephen Fry, who wanted to see it turned into a Sherlock Holmes Museum
Pictures: Alvin Edyvane / Getty — The records office in Museum Road, Old Portsmouth, that could be demolished to make way for new homes, and left, Stephen Fry, who wanted to see it turned into a Sherlock Holmes Museum Pictures: Alvin Edyvane / Getty

Last year an application was made to Historic England to have Edwardian barracks listed but the organisation said it did not meet its criteria ‘in the national context’ and rejected the request.

However, it said the council could decide to give it local listed designation due to its position in the conservation area and its contribution to ‘the military history of Portsmouth’.

The submission of the application followed the council's decision to ‘reconsider’ the demolition of the Museum Road building and to carry out a study of its structural condition and an assessment of its potential to host a Sherlock Holmes museum.

This use was backed by a petition signed more than 1,000 times and backed by Stephen Fry.

In April, Nicholas Doggett, the managing director of Asset Heritage Consulting, wrote to council chief executive David Williams in response to ‘persistent rumours’ that the council was again considering its demolition.

He said the council had made ‘no real effort’ with the building since its use as a records office ended in 2010.

'Despite this - and the inevitable deterioration in condition that occurs to any building when it is left unused and without maintenance - the building is, like most buildings of this date, solidly constructed and more than capable of being found and sustaining a beneficial new use,' he added.

‘I urge you and your senior officer colleagues to abandon any thoughts of demolishing the building and instead to begin working with the local community to find a beneficial, viable and sustainable use for the building to guarantee its long-term future.’

Portsmouth City Council was contacted for comment.

Fears grow that Portsmouth's historic records office could be demolished

‘I urge you and your senior officer colleagues to abandon any thoughts of demolishing the building and instead to begin working with the local community to find a beneficial, viable and sustainable use for the building to guarantee its long-term future.’