Plans for flats next to the former Odeon in Portsmouth's North End are rejected by a planning inspector

The report refusing an appeal lodged against the city council for delays in reaching a decision on the 2021 application said the development “would be significantly out of scale with the rest of the area” while concerns were also raised around its proposed “car-free” status.

“Although the proposal is in outline, it is clear that any form of development of 65 units here is likely to have significant bulk which would be significantly out of scale with the rest of the area, giving rise to an incongruous effect,” planning inspector Claire Searson said. “This would be particularly visible when travelling south along London Road as the development would dominate and have a looming effect over the single storey units to the direct north of the site.

“I accept that the site is adjacent to a relatively tall building to the south. However, the auditorium of the former cinema is set back and its height is not experienced within the street scene to any significant degree.”

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The planning application proposed the “redevelopment” of the ground floor retail unit used by Poundland while the current two-storey building would be extended to six storeys to accommodate the 65 flats. Two disabled parking spaces would have been provided with the developer relying on residents using nearby roads to park or to not use cars.

The report added: “While the development is anticipated to be car-free, there is no mechanism in place to ensure this. Neither are there any measures in place to secure the implementation of any other off-site measures outlined by the appellant.

“Without any certainty of this matter, I have concerns regarding the capacity of the local highway network to accommodate the additional vehicular parking.”

Ms Searson added that she believed the development would “give rise to significant highways effects through increased parking stress and inconvenience to the wider neighbourhood”.

Documents submitted with the application said these homes would all be affordable but this was also questioned by the inspector who said: “I have my doubts on the legal enforceability of this document to secure affordable housing.”