Plans to relocate HMRC offices to former Matalan carpark site in the city centre is approved
Plans to relocate HMRC’s regional office from Cosham to the city centre have been given the green light.
Portsmouth City Council has granted planning permission for the building a new office hub on the carpark of the former Matalan carpark site. The offices will be known as No.1 The Goodsyard – a name which gives a nod to the site’s history and proximity to Portsmouth & Southsea railway station – and provide 8,000sq m of total office space over four storeys.
HMRC is contracted to take the building and will locate from its existing base in Cosham with around 1,250 HMRC and Marine Management Organisation (MMO) employees set to move there in late 2027.
The former Matalan site is anticipated to come forward in two phases – this No.1 The Goodsyard office for HMRC on the car park site is phase 1. Phase 2 will see a separate redevelopment of the eastern portion of the site, including the former Matalan store unit which has been empty since the retailed moved to The Pompey Centre last October.
The developer said the scheme is ‘car lite’ and includes features to support and encourage active travel. As well as being adjacent to the railway station, it is also well served by bus connections, placing jobs near sustainable transport links.
A new public square, which will be located at the western end of the site, is central to the vision of improving accessibility and permeability. Well-maintained landscaping in the square, from paving to planting, will also create an inclusive natural environment that promotes calm and wellbeing – and significantly contributes to the public realm offer in the city centre.
Edward Flach, managing director at Welbeck CP, said: “We’re transforming an old car park into a state-of-the-art office building and that’s regeneration in action. It’s great to get the go ahead because this scheme represents a real opportunity to improve an area of the city which is currently underused and underappreciated, to put jobs directly into the city centre, and to maximise the site’s relationship with the station.
“Our plans were developed over three years of consultation and dialogue and they align with the council’s vision for the city centre. With approval from the council now in place, we want to move forward as quickly as we can and, subject to completing the S106, will be looking to start on site in Q2 2025.”
The developer added the redevelopment of the former Matalan car park is expected to provide a £45 million investment into Portsmouth. This is in addition to the benefits that come with construction and employing local workers, and the long-term economic boost that will come from 1,250 people using the site and, by extension, the city.
However the decision raises questions about the future of the existing Lynx House in Cosham which was the former IBM Pilot Head Office. It is a Grade II listed building for its architectural interest and importance.