Plans for redevelopment of Knight and Lee in Southsea get the green light - and work will begin soon, vows developer That Group

That is the message from developers after new plans for the old Knight and Lee building in Palmerston Road, Southsea, were given the green light.

Initial planning permission was secured by That Group in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic led to developers reconsidering their proposals.

Developers have reduced the number of hotel rooms from 64 to 43, with a gym, two cinemas, two shops, a hotel reception/bar area and an indoor food market, akin to those found in London.

Councillors on Portsmouth City Council's planning committee unanimously approved the new plans, and work will begin in the next couple of months.

Speaking to the committee earlier today, That Group's chief executive Peter Tisdale said: ‘In the past couple of years it's been pretty tough to get schemes off the ground, but with Knight and Lee that's not the case.

'After Covid-19 hit we began to review the planning permission that we had, and there were many discussions about what would make a successful development moving forward.

'Currently there is nothing comparable to this scheme in the surrounding area. We are committed to this scheme and are very excited to finally bring it to life - That Group is enthusiastic about what this will bring to Southsea and hope people will enjoy coming here.'

The two cinemas will both have 84 seats, and it's expected that the food hall will use local vendors in a rotation.

As for the bar, that will be part of the hotel and open 24 hours a day - and members of the public will be allowed to use it.

In the mornings, the food hall will be where breakfast is served to hotel guests.

The city council's cabinet member for housing and preventing homelessness, Councillor Darren Sanders, said: ‘This project is a vote of confidence in our city and in Southsea.

‘This represents an opportunity to make Southsea even more vibrant than it already is.

‘I encourage the developer to use independent local food providers in their food hall because there is a huge amount of choice in Southsea at the moment.

‘I would also ask that they use local labour for the scheme - we’re facing a cost of living crisis and to give people from the surrounding area these jobs will go some way towards helping people deal with the increased cost of living.’

Following a few questions from councillors towards planning officer Nick Lloyd-Davies, councillors voted in favour of the application.

A second vote was also held on plans to preserve the historic building after it was granted listed building status.

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Granted in May this year, this means that developers must adhere to certain planning rules to maintain the historic significance of the site.

Demolished during the Second World War, the Knight and Lee building was reconstructed in the 1950s and has many characteristics of that era.

The building closed in 2019.

For the most part the frontage of the building will be preserved, but double-glazed windows will be fitted.

After the meeting, Mr Tisdale said: 'The delays have been long but we've got a better scheme from that and we're keen to get going.

'Before the site closed, people would go to Knight and Lee for one thing - to shop around at John Lewis and maybe grab a cup of tea.

'Now there will be so many reasons for people to come through the doors, whether that’s for retail, to grab some lunch, work out or watch a movie.

'What we are creating is a really strong asset for Southsea - it'll be something we can all be proud of.’