Plans to transform Portsmouth's park and ride into transport interchange are approved

One of the earlier designs for the park and ride transport interchange
Picture: Portsmouth City Council — One of the earlier designs for the park and ride transport interchange Picture: Portsmouth City Council

Having refused the first application last year, members of the Portsmouth City Council planning committee gave their backing to the principle of redeveloping the site on Wednesday. Detailed designs are due in September.

Cabinet member for transport Lynne Stagg said the facility would better integrate public transport but was also part of ‘plans for the future’ and efforts to reduce both congestion and air pollution.

‘One of the objections to this scheme is that there isn't the demand,’ she said. ‘There is the demand from the port, but there's also the need for it and I think the two go together.’

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The revised outline application was submitted last month, reducing the height of the structure by between three and six metres in a bid to overcome concerns about the previous ‘ugly and huge’ scheme.

Backing for the project has been given by both the University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth International Port, which is set to benefit from designated parking spaces for cruise ship passengers. The port has forecast it could need as many as 1,000 extra spaces within the next few years.

The facility is expected to house 2,650 parking spaces in total alongside increased bus provision and bike and e-scooter hire.

Cllr Stagg said she hoped it would also house a transfer service for couriers, allowing larger lorries to drop off packages to be delivered into the city by electric vans and cargo bikes.

Some committee members expressed reservations about the scheme, saying it was ‘not perfect’ but said these could be resolved when the final design details are submitted later this year.

'I'm not convinced this is entirely different to what was before the committee last year,' councillor Terry Norton said. ‘However I do understand the need for this to go forward.’

Despite this, all but one of the committee agreed to grant outline planning permission.

Chairman Lee Hunt said these issues would be examined in more depth with the submission of the reserved matters.

‘This is about the principle of the development,’ he said. ‘We have got to get on top of pollution in our city. This will have a beneficial impact.’