Old Portsmouth Post Office will become either 200-bed hotel or apartment building

Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee has been recommended to approve the National Regional Property Group scheme which was submitted in March 2020.

Two separate applications were submitted: one for the block of flats and the other for the hotel and both will be considered by councillors on Wednesday, December 21.

The first is an outline application for the demolition of the eastern side of the former sorting office, which has been unused since 2016, to make way for the new 19-storey building.

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And the second seeks permission for the conversion of the existing Post Office, only the ground floor of which is still in use, into a 218-bed hotel, partly facilitated by the construction of two storeys above it.

The chief executive of National Regional Property Group, Shaun Adams, said the development would ‘regenerate this area of the city centre’ and make better use of the ‘largely derelict’ site.

‘Our proposals would deliver new homes, jobs and a hotel whilst keeping the post office on Slindon Street in place and breathe life back into the area, with a significant investment in Portsmouth,’ he said. ‘I hope the councillors support the application so we can begin on site as soon as possible.’

A previous application to convert the buildings into flats was submitted in 2018 but it was rejected by the council.

Despite council policies to encourage affordable housing in larger developments, none is proposed in the current proposal after a viability assessment found the project would only make a profit of £3.8m – below the threshold allowed for private developers.

Charles Dickens ward councillor Cal Corkery lodged an objection to the tower block application shortly after it was submitted due to concerns around this.

‘In this case, the developer is pleading poverty and claiming they will not make enough millions of pounds in profit if made to adhere to this [policy],’ he said. ‘We are in the midst of a housing crisis with hundreds homeless in Portsmouth alone and many more sofa surfing, living in dangerously overcrowded or in unsuitable housing. The only way that is going to be addressed is through the provision of new social housing.’

He called on the council to not let the firm ‘sidestep’ its obligations in this area.

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However, a report by council officers says the viability assessment is correct and has recommended planning permission be granted.

‘Officers are confident that the development of the site could contribute to the evolving skyline within the city centre, would optimise the use of a city centre brownfield site and would respond positively at street level with opportunities for greater activity and integration with adjoining sites as

part of a wider regeneration project,’ their report says.

‘Overall it is not considered that the proposal would result in any significant adverse impacts on the amenity of adjoining occupiers, and the wider benefits of redevelopment and the introduction of residents to the area as part of a wider redevelopment opportunity would outweigh any minor impacts.’