Plans for flats in Hilsea have been given the go-ahead despite safety and sewage concerns

Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee unanimously approved plans to convert a 20th-century house on 19 Peronne Road into apartments. The works include substantial extensions on the side and rear of the building which will effectively triple the property’s footprint. The development will include six flats with six rear parking spaces, as well as secure bicycle parking and front refuse bin storage. Although much of the current garden space would be lost due to the extensions and parking, some amenity areas will still be provided. Additionally, four of the flats in the new building would feature small balconies.

Councillor Darren Sanders raised concerns about the parking space shortfall, as nine spaces would be required to pass the council’s standards, and whether approval would set a precedent for other developments. In response Ian Maguire, the council’s assistant director for planning and economic growth, acknowledged the shortfall but reminded the chamber that planning is not a precedent-based system. Councillor Judith Smyth added: “This looks like a nice design, I like the circular corner feature and I think that having a car park space for each flat is sufficient in an urban setting such as this.”

The application has attracted 16 comments from members of the public and local independent councillor Emily Strudwick who, after speaking with numerous residents, raised concerns. “With extra water and sewage, a huge increase in the amount of cars, reducing daylight to neighbouring houses and privacy,” she said.

Local resident Bryony Gordon said she and the neighbourhood strongly object to the plans. “Our main concerns are parking down our road as it’s bad enough already let alone having more people with more cars living down here, six flats is too much,” she said. “The corner where the construction would be is dangerous enough as cars come flying round that corner off the main road and end up blocking up the street so if there was construction going on there would be lorries and workers everywhere.”