Royal Naval Comrades Club in Portsmouth to be turned into housing

Ashbourne Assets and Investments Ltd applied in January 2020 to redevelop the Lake Road building into a mix of homes and flats but revised its plans in May last year, delaying the final decision until just before Christmas.

Declining membership numbers prompted the club to sell the building and relocate to a smaller base.

In a statement submitted with its application, it said 'significant' work was now needed to bring it up to standard.

'The building, having suffered war damage in the past, is now in a state of neglect throughout having not had the benefit of financial investment in later years,' it said. 'The building footprint occupies 100 per cent of the rectangular site area and has little architectural merit.

'Following war time bomb damage, the building has witnessed considerable alteration work over time and the current form is of poor quality.'

Its now-approved plans will allow two three-bed homes to be created next to six flats. Four of these would be one-bed with the remainder having two bedrooms.

Permission was granted despite three letters of objection being submitted by people living nearby raising concerns about the provision of car parking in the area.