Martin Silman
Updated plans for the proposed leisure centre and doctors surgery in Bransbury Park have been made available and will be discussed at Portsmouth City Council's planning committee meeting on December 18th.
The council have produced a useful video that summarises the proposal - you can see it here.
There has been significant debate within the Neighbourhood Forum - the proposed building itself, while not perfect, does meet with approval from almost everyone but the siting of the children's playground, the change of location for the changing rooms and the additional car parking spaces at the eastern end of the park have generated considerable debate.
We hope some of these issues can continue to be discussed after the planning meeting and hope for further improvements - but this was the Forum's response to the plan as currently drafted:
"The Milton Neighbourhood Forum is disappointed that this proposal does not comply with the Milton Neighbourhood Plan. We understand that such non-compliance can be justified if a case for very special circumstances is made and we believe that, given the alternative locations considered, this proposal represents the best available option. However, we have significant concerns regarding the placement of the children’s play area and the proposed creation of additional parking on what is currently designated as local green space.
We are pleased to note the improved design of the Bransbury Leisure Centre. The enhancements to the external appearance, the improved BREEAM status and the access, retaining the current tree line and 2 more mature trees is commendable.
That said, we preferred the placement of the children’s play area in the earlier design. Sport England’s objection to its previous location, based on the reinstatement of an unusable football pitch, seems irrational. Relocating the play area closer to traffic increases the risk of physical harm to children and exposes them to significantly higher levels of particulate matter.
The proposed increase in parking provision is not compliant with the Milton Neighbourhood Plan. Additionally, the placement of new parking areas far from the new changing rooms and a considerable distance from the leisure centre appears impractical. While we acknowledge the parking challenges in this area, the current proposal seems unlikely to provide a meaningful solution and instead results in the unnecessary loss of green space.
Furthermore, we are concerned about the inclusion of the new changing rooms within the main development. The current pavilion is optimally located near all three pitches and adjacent to the parking area. Relocating the changing rooms to a position behind the leisure centre places them as far as possible from both the pitches and parking facilities, while also potentially affecting the views of residents on the south side of Glasgow Road. While we agree that the changing rooms need to be replaced, we strongly advocate for retaining their current location as the most practical and community-friendly option. "
