Gosport Waterfront And Town Centre
Size
- 11.6 ha (28.6 acres) Gosport Waterfront Regeneration Area
- 0.9 ha (2.2 acres) Gosport Bus Station site, including
- Gosport Bus Station 0.6 ha (1.5 acres) mixed use opportunity including retail, hospitality and residential (STP).
- Gosport Interchange £5.9m proposed new facility to include the relocation of the existing bus station, plus taxi rank and drop-off/ pick-up facility.
- 3.7 ha (9.2 acres) Royal Clarence Yard Retained Area, including
- Victoria Quay 2.3 ha (5.7 acres) marine servicing and specialist facilities hub
Description
The Gosport Waterfront Regeneration Area (Gosport Borough Local Plan 2011-2029) covers a stretch of coastline from Victoria Quay (formally known as the Royal Clarence Yard Retained Area) through to the Gosport Bus Station and passenger ferry terminal. The area has been identified as having potential for redevelopment and intensification as part of a mixed-use scheme including employment related uses, particularly within the marine sector.
The vision for the area, as stated in the Gosport Waterfront and Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (adopted March 2018) is that:
- it will be a vibrant and attractive harbourside destination and a key gateway to the Borough
- it will be revitalised through the provision of a mix of high quality development. The Waterfront and Town Centre will utilise its strength such as its marine and historic assets to attract new investment and visitors
- there will be improved public realm, cultural, community and retail facilities with new employment and residential opportunities
- new development will act as a catalyst to rejuvenate the wider area and harness an ambitious spirit amongst private, public and community sector partners, which will reignite public pride in the town
The Gosport Waterfront and Town Centre area is also of regional importance. It has been identified in the Solent Local Economic Partnership’s Strategic Economic Plan as a priority area for redevelopment and can accommodate marine related businesses who require deep water access, presenting the opportunity to become a key waterfront employment site for the Solent.
The Gosport Waterfront and Town Centre SPD has identified 44 sites as indicative opportunities for development over the Plan period to 2029, plus a further 5 related to public realm and green infrastructure provision.
Land currently being brought forward for development and being redeveloped includes:
- The Gosport Bus Station site (PO12 1EP), a 0.9 ha (2.2 acres) prime waterfront residential led mixed-use development opportunity. Situated in a prominent position at the far eastern end of Gosport High Street, with stunning views across Portsmouth Harbour, it is envisaged that the development will include residential (circa 95 units), retail, offices, public realm and a new bus station. To help achieve this aspiration a 0.6 ha (1.5 acres) mixed use development opportunity including retail, hospitality and residential (STP) was brought to market during September 2021. For more details please see Gosport Bus Station. To facilitate this the existing bus interchange, plus taxi rank and drop-off/ pick-up facility will be relocated via the £5.9m Gosport Interchange Improvements scheme.
- Victoria Quay, a 3.7 ha (9.2 acres) site within the Royal Clarence Yard Retained Area with direct deep water access that adjoins the Berkeley Homes residential (700 units) led mixed-use Royal Clarence Yard development and Royal Clarence Marina. During summer 2019 5.7 acres of the site was purchased from the MoD by UK Docks. It is now being redeveloped as a hub for a wide range of modern high-tech marine services and boatyard services to compliment other such facilities around Portsmouth Harbour. For more information and updates please see the Victoria Quay website.
Location/Access
The Gosport Waterfront Regeneration Area is situated on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour overlooking the Historic Dockyard and Gunwharf Quays. It is well connected with the Gosport Bus Station and passenger Ferry Terminal, which links Gosport with Portsmouth, located within it. In addition the principal road access for the town is via the A32 that links with Junction 11 of the M27 just to the north of Fareham.
The nearest train station is Portsmouth Harbour, which is accessible via the Gosport Passenger Ferry – a four minute journey operating every 7.5 minutes at peak times (15 minutes off peak) – with its Portsmouth pontoon adjacent to the station.
Options
Planning permission will be granted for the following uses:
- 33,000 sqm (gross) of employment floorspace (B uses)
- approximately 6,500 sqm of retail (A1); and additional floorspace for other town centre uses (A2-A5)
- a range of community and leisure uses (D1 and D2)
- 700-900 dwellings
- a new transport interchange
- enhanced public realm
The Waterfront will be the focus for new employment development and it will be a key objective that new development creates job opportunities which are greater than current levels (estimated at 525 or 58.5 sqm per person in 2010). Marine-related employment will continue to be a key sector given the site’s deep water access and it will be important to safeguard access to marine assets and facilities. New employment floorspace will be primarily focused at the Victoria Quay site which could include the potential relocation of marine industries from other parts of the site.
It is estimated that approximately 26,000 sqm (gross) of the employment space could be developed within the Waterfront with a range of manufacturing and industrial premises. The site could accommodate a small element of high quality office development, making good use of an attractive environment close to public transport and town centre facilities. Other sites in the Waterfront and Town Centre have the potential for approximately 7,000 sqm (gross) of office floorspace.
The Waterfront and Town Centre will be the focus for the Borough’s new retail floorspace having 60% of the total floorspace identified in the Spatial Strategy (Policy LP3) taking into account other retail development in the Borough. Retail development must enhance and complement the provision of the existing town centre.
Leisure activities within the Waterfront site could include cultural and recreational facilities, bars and restaurants which will be attractive to local residents and visitors. These facilities link well to the existing marina use and have the potential to increase boat-based visitors amongst others.
The Bus Station Site is an important gateway for the town and a key element of the redevelopment will include a new transport interchange linking buses that serve Gosport and Fareham, plus providing the ferry connection to Portsmouth and national rail services.
Planning status
Gosport Borough Local Plan
In the adopted Gosport Borough Local Plan 2011-2029 (October 2015), the Waterfront and Town Centre has been identified as a Regeneration Area, with key objectives to improve the vitality and viability of Gosport Town Centre by linking it with an attractive mixed use waterfront redevelopment which also maintains and creates important maritime employment. Access to deep water facilities will need to be safeguarded and the MOD will need to retain appropriate access to operational infrastructure as required.
Mayfield Buildings, Mumby Road
Planning permission was granted in August 2014 for a Hybrid planning application (14/00076/FULL) comprising of:
- 1,550 sqm food store (A1)
- 275 sqm commercial unit (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, B1 and D1)
- Up to 48 residential units (C3)
As part of phase 1 of this development an Aldi food store has been built and is now trading. The second phase is being developed by McCarthy & Stone for retirement apartments that are currently under construction.
Gosport Bus Station
This 0.88 ha (2.17 acres) site is a prime waterfront mixed-use development opportunity. Situated in a prominent position at the far eastern end of Gosport High Street, with stunning views across Portsmouth Harbour, it is envisaged that the development will include residential (circa 95 units), retail, food and drink, offices, public realm, a visitor information centre and a new transport interchange.
Gosport Waterfront and Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document
A Consultation Draft version of the SPD was published in June 2017 to help guide further development of the area by bringing together a more detailed consideration of development opportunities and potential public realm enhancements. It is supplemental to, and links with, the policies of the Gosport Borough Local Plan; setting out a number of key themes and objectives plus more detailed development principles to be considered as proposals come forward.
The SPD identifies a number of sites that could be developed – some of which are known to be available e.g. the Bus Station and Police Station sites, whilst others may potentially come forward over the Plan period (to 2029). These sites are shown in the SPD Companion Document: Site Profiles.