Boost for Southsea shelter project

Published on Tuesday, 1st May 2018

The City Council set aside some £70,000 in last year’s budget to restore the Edwardian shelter that once stood where the Pyramids now is and to put it back on the seafront, just to the east of the Coffee Cup.

The indications are that that amount will not be sufficient. However thanks to an offer of financial help from Michael Eisner (owner of the football club) and assistance from local builder, PMC Construction, the project is now back on track.

Tags: Shelter

Sunday opening at Southsea library

Published on Tuesday, 1st May 2018

Southsea library in Palmerston Road will open on Sundays on a trial basis starting this coming weekend. If demand proves sufficient, it is hoped to make this arrangement permanent.

Tags: Libraries

CCTV in allotments

Published on Tuesday, 1st May 2018

There have been a depressing number of incidents of anti-social behaviour at some of Portsmouth’s allotment sites. In response, the City Council has installed CCTV in some locations. While powers to enforce the law rest solely with the police, the council can at least help gather evidence; the cameras will also hopefully act as a deterrent.

Tags: Allotments, CCTV

New butcher’s shop in Albert Road

Published on Sunday, 22nd April 2018

It’s nice to see that a new butcher’s shop has recently opened in Albert Road, a couple of doors along from Tesco. We all know about the move to online and out-of-town retail, but there is very much a place for independent retailers with the right product. This opening is also a sign that Albert Road remains vibrant.

Tags: Albert Road, Retail

New water feature proves popular

Published on Sunday, 22nd April 2018

The replacement for the fountain near the D-Day Museum is proving popular. Lit at night and computer controlled, it really is a quality feature and is worth popping down to the seafront to see.

The old fountain was 60-years old and with parts unavailable was becoming a maintenance problem. 

Tags: Seafront

New signs at Canoe Lake

Published on Sunday, 22nd April 2018

New information signs have gone in around Canoe Lake, with the aim of making it easier for occasional visitors to navigate. The cost was met from part of the Community Infrastructure Fund development tax paid by McCarthy and Stone for their new building on the seafront.

Tags: Seafront

Fruit importer enters new market

Published on Sunday, 22nd April 2018

MMD, the council-owned company that handles containers and pallets of imported soft fruit, has landed a contract to also handle the export of wind turbine blades. The 10-year deal with Vestas will safeguard jobs at the facility and marks an important milestone in the battle to make the business sustainable.

While MMD has reported a loss most years since the council acquired it a decade ago, the extra trade it brings to the port has generally more than offsets the deficit, meaning that the overall financial position is better having it than not having it. However, the council administration wants it to do better and is making changes to improve the position further.

The shift towards importing fruit in containers is gathering speed and that is a less labour-intensive business than unloading pallets. The council invested millions the other year removing the Floating Dock Jetty - a leftover from the Navy that limited the size of vessels that could land at the commercial port – primarily to accommodate larger, containerised ships. MMD was always going to have to change, but happily, as the Vestas contract indicates that will not necessarily involve scaling back the business.

Tags: Port

D-Day Museum reopens

Published on Friday, 30th March 2018

The newly refurbished D-Day Museum reopened today and it really is first-rate. The tapestry itself looks so much brighter in its new display cases and there are numerous video displays, featuring both actors and veterans.

Amongst the first visitors were a family from Berkshire, whose son was fascinated by history of it all and how it was brought to life. Hopefully, the museum will draw even more people to visit Portsmouth.

The refurbishment works cost £5m, with most of the money coming from the compensation the banks had to pay in the wake of the LIBOR interest rate fixing scandal. While the museum itself is now complete, there are still more works to do to complete the experience, the most notable of which will be when the last surviving landing craft is put on permanent display on an open site just outside the museum.

Tags: Seafront, Museums

The homeless shelter

Published on Friday, 30th March 2018

Last week, the council Cabinet visited the Homeless Shelter and it was an interesting thing to see. Located in Hope House, Milton Road, the facility is much bigger than it appears from the street. Most of the space is taken up with individual rooms, some of which have been personalised: with some people resident there for up to a couple of years, these rooms have become their homes. There are also shared kitchen and bathroom areas; laundry facilities are available. 

The stability of having accommodation can then provide a foundation for addressing any drug, alcohol or mental health issues, as well as providing breathing space to find employment and permanent housing. The separate, council-funded day services provide help for this.

The winter shelter is effectively a shared lounge. While a bit cramped, it meets an essential need and it is really good that we’ve found the money to keep it running throughout the year. It is open from 9pm, although people start to congregate before then.

The whole facility is operated by the Salvation Army on behalf of the City Council. The buildings were originally part of the workhouse and are located just to the north of St Mary’s hospital.

Tags: Housing