Plans to turn former Portsmouth GP practice into flats approved

Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee approved the plans for the site on Queens Road, in Buckland.

The building will be converted into six one-bedroom flats and two two-bedroom flats after a first-floor extension has been added along with a new second-storey.

Speaking at the meeting, committee member Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson questioned the number of parking spaces available.

He said: ‘I would like to propose refusing this application because it breaks the council’s parking policy.

‘According to the policy, it should have 10 spaces but instead has four. There is no point having a parking policy if we don’t enforce it.’

Cllr Colin Galloway agreed about parking, but said he did like the architecture planned for the building.

But other members of the committee said the parking policy should be applied with common sense and approved the application.