KNIGHT & LEE BUILDING, PORTSMOUTH

CLIENT
THAT Group

SECTORS
Mixed-use

LOCATION
Southsea, Portsmouth

PLANNING AUTHORITY
Portsmouth City Council

HIGHWAY AUTHORITY
Portsmouth City Council

PROJECT TEAM
Terence O’Rourke
EPR Architects Ltd
Gleeds Management Services Ltd

PROJECT MANAGER
Simon Moody

PROJECT DIRECTOR
James Darrall

PROJECT
We were instructed by THAT Group to support a full planning application for a retail transformation at the former Knight & Lee building in Southsea, Portsmouth. The proposed redevelopment houses a cinema, 43 bed hotel, co-working office space, a gym and rooftop bar. The redevelopment is car-free, with no parking provided on site. The site has significant local importance and will prove a cultural and creative anchor for the area.

APPROACH
We provided the technical documentation to support the planning application, namely a Transport Statement and Travel Plan. Key to this was demonstrating that a car free development in this location would not result in a significant effect on the local highway network and local parking demand.

An open dialogue with highway officers was maintained from the outset. This allowed TPA to focus on the main transport matters at hand and undertake the necessary parking surveys to demonstrate the effect of the proposals on local demand. Emphasis was also placed on the site’s highly accessible location and sustainable approach to travel.

OUTCOME
Early and continued dialogue with highway officers meant that no highways objection were made with no further highway information or post-application responses required.

The application received planning approval on 17th July 2020.