Portsmouth city centre masterplan job stats are correct say council

COUNCIL officials insist figures revealing 9,700 jobs will be created through the radical transformation of Portsmouth City Centre are correct.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Feb 2017, 07:44 BST
Updated 1st Mar 2017, 09:08 BST
Portsmouth City Council has revealed a new image of plans for the Northern Quarter area in the city centrePortsmouth City Council has revealed a new image of plans for the Northern Quarter area in the city centre
Portsmouth City Council has revealed a new image of plans for the Northern Quarter area in the city centre

Lib Dem group leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson claimed he had been told the figure included the number of jobs expected to be created through the arrival of the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth.

But the council says that is not the case – and the maths has been done based on the amount of commercial development set to take place on and around the former Tricorn Centre site, off Market Way.

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A council spokesman said: ‘The jobs figure is calculated on the bases of 154,000m2 of employment floorspace within the city centre.

‘This does not include jobs to do with the carrier.’

As reported, the council has unveiled its new City Centre North masterplan, which includes plans for 2,600 new homes and high-rise towers made up of apartments with leisure and retail space in what has been billed as a ‘tall buildings strategy’ by Tory council boss, Cllr Donna Jones.

A new city road network costing £46m is central to the plans and the council is bidding for £21m to ensure it happens.

Related topics:PortsmouthHMS Queen ElizabethRoyal Navy