The News Centre Portsmouth: Demolition of the main Hilsea landmark building begins

The main building on London Road, including the old reception, is in the process of being demolished with the structures behind the well-known facade starting to disappear – including the well-known mosaic sign which said the word ‘News. The team at Hughes and Salvidge, will continue with work on the main building over the coming weeks which will see the landscape in the north of the city change forever.

The demolition work began in September with the rear of the site cleared first, with the building which was once home to the printing press and the distribution and transportation areas removed first. However with much of that complete the demolition team have now turned their attention to the iconic frontage to The News Centre which was home to The Portsmouth News until 2013 – though the newspaper itself was still printed at the site until it was sold to DMG Media, the publisher of the Daily Mail, Metro and i newspapers, in 2020.

ALSO READ: Video tour of inside The News Centre before it is demolished

First Bus announced its purchase of the site in London Road in March last year which it plans to turn onto a ‘super bus depot’ for its electric fleet. Earlier this year planning permission was granted by Portsmouth City Council for the clearance of the site, including the demolition of the main News Centre, despite calls to retain at least some of the historic frontage of the landmark building.

No planning application has been submitted for the bus depot itself yet, however First Bus is asking Portsmouth City Council whether it needs environmental assessments to be carried out as part of its application.