'Green mountain' Portsmouth park and ride transport hub latest plans revealed

An updated 'green mountain' design for a new seven-storey transport hub, on the site of the existing Tipner park and ride, is set to be considered next week for outline permission.

As reported, the scheme will see the existing car parking spaces increase from 650 to 2,650, however, the most recent version includes extra facilities on site such as a restaurant, shop, health centre and gym.

Council leader, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, hoped the transformation would encourage more people to use the service.

He said: ‘Our issue is the number of people using the park and ride has been falling each year for several years. We tried adding new routes like a new route into Southsea and other places but that was a complete failure.

'We need to make it more attractive to get more people in. It works reasonably well with people coming in to visit but not so much with people commuting - who are the people we want to use it.’

Among the plans, submitted by Savills on behalf of Portsmouth City Council, it states that trees and plants will feature on the building to create a 'green mountain' effect.

SEE ALSO: Regeneration company objects to park and ride plans

And coupled with proposals for 4,000 new homes on the Tipner West site, on the other side of the motorway from the park and ride it suggests this will create a ‘gateway’ into Portsea Island.

The council's transport boss, Cllr Lynne Stagg, said: ‘The most important thing is to cut down the number of cars coming into the city centre, to stop congestion and improve air quality.

‘I think the plans to use greenery such as plants on the side is laudable. Having trees particularly along the M275 is good because they take in carbon dioxide and put out oxygen and their leaves hold on to particulates.

‘In addition an extended park and ride would allow us to have a hub to accommodate more sustainable modes of transport such as electric delivery vehicles which again would cut down on the huge number of large diesel vans on our roads that contribute to the pollution in our city.’

A public consultation on earlier plans for the site was held in February last year.

But Tory leader Cllr Donna Jones, believed further consultation should be held. She said: ‘It is disappointing that it feels as if we've been left completely in the dark about these latest plans and that the administration has not been consulting with the public on these ideas.

‘But I think the expansion of the park and ride is a good idea in itself. The creation of shops and a gym there I'm not so sure about.’

The proposals, which will be discussed at a planning meeting next week, also include storage for 50 bicycles, a taxi rank and a car and bicycle rental facility.

It is not known yet how much the new park and ride could cost.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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