Fresh plans submitted to demolish club for student high-rise

The new application for the site of the old Labour club in Portsmouth has less studio flats than the previous proposals.

Instead of the original plans for a 10-storey building with 133 studio flats, the most recent application is for 80 flats with communal facilities and cycle and refuse storage.

It comes as the new application excludes Portsmouth City Council-owned garages which are next to the site so the overall size of the development is smaller.

As part of the application, the current Unity Hall building, on Coburg Street, will be demolished.

In the design and access statement developers PDP architects said: ‘The site offers an ideal location for student accommodation and aims to reduce the influx of students living in residential homes within the Fratton and Southsea areas.

‘The proposed scheme will provide 80 studio apartments located close to the town centre and necessary transport and shopping facilities, providing the Fratton area and Portsmouth University with much-needed high quality student accommodation.’

As previously reported in The News the original outline application, submitted in June last year, raised concerns with Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan. He said: ‘I am concerned by the ever-increasing student accommodation proposed across our city centre.

‘We have a housing crisis in our country and city.’

Since the first application was submitted, several high-rise student blocks have been completed including Zurich Tower in the city centre and Unite Students built a new tower block in Greetham Street.

In December, Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee approved plans to turn Venture Tower in Fratton into a 97-bedroom residence for students.