Portsmouth Society plays key role in guiding development in the city 50 years after it was established

The Comprehensive Redevelopment came about from a 1955 survey that found 7,000 in Landport, Somers Town and Buckland were unfit for human habitation, prompting the area’s complete reconstruction in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Shortly afterwards, in the early years of the nationwide conservation movement, the society was founded and its efforts have guided some of the most important schemes of the last five decades and saw it awarded a civic award by the city council last week.

Celia Clark, one of four founding members still actively involved in the group’s work, said it had played a ‘vital’ role.

‘The heritage destruction of the Comprehensive Redevelopment was a disaster – I’ve always called it the second Blitz,’ she said.

Many historic buildings were lost as part of the project and main roads, such as Winston Churchill Avenue in Somers Town, split communities in half. Opposition to the M275 restricted it to the shortest motorway in the country, although the white scars on Portsdown Hill where chalk was quarried for its construction are still visible. Efforts since the society was founded have mostly restricted similar large-scale redevelopment projects

‘We’ve played a signficant role in saving a number of key buildings in the city,’ Mrs Clark added. ‘St Mary’s House [the 1846-built former workhouse previously earmarked for demolition] was a major success which we’re very proud of.

‘But there’s also been the Theatre Royal, the Palace Cinema [now Astoria], the Dog & Duck in Fratton Road [now a nursery], the Beneficial School [now the Groundlings Theatre] and the Vulcan building in Gunwharf [now flats and the Aspex Gallery].

‘Of course it doesn’t always go the way we want but it’s so important we preserve what we still have left.’

The society’s planning committee makes comments on planning applications submitted to Portsmouth City Council and these are often cited during council debates.

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Former lord mayor Hugh Mason, a long-serving city councillor and the cabinet member for planning, said the society had been ‘a positive force for good in the city’.

‘That [influence] has been very positive,’ he said. ‘Sometimes I have agreed with them and sometimes I have disagreed but they have always stimulated thought and forced people to think through plans.’

He added that its independence from the council – and the subsequent lack of political influence – meant it had always provided reliable input.

But the society’s involvement has also gone beyond its involvement in planning matters: its members are also trustees of Wymering Manor and the Omega Centre in Somerstown.

And it also oversaw a months’ long project to list every street tree in the city, paving the way for tree protection orders to be secured and the creation of both the Somers Town Community Garden and the city’s tree wardens.

The annual design awards it hosts, which last year saw the Premier Inn in Queen Street named the best new building and recognitions for both the Parade Tearooms at Gunwharf and the No I the Parade at the naval base, encourages well-thought-out new builds as well as the re-use of historic buildings.

Among the nominations already made this year are: Henrietta Place in Somers Town, Wymering School in Paulsgrove, the Sallyport Hotel in Old Portsmouth and the Kingston Prison project.

Mrs Clark added: ‘We look forward to continuing to play our active part in conserving and enhancing Portsmouth’s special built and natural environment – as we’ve done for the last 50 years.’

The society’s AGM will be held at the Royal Maritime Club on Wednesday (May 24) starting at 7pm.

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