5:32 pm, August 13, 2021
A long-running planning saga over a proposed Jaguar Land Rover dealership that was held up by a council’s land purchase is set to be settled at long last.
Permission for the showroom on a 1.62-hectare site at Lakeside Business Park in Portsmouth was originally given back in December 2018, but the project later stalled after the city council bought a lot of the business park for £138m.
Agreement was needed for ‘off-site ecology mitigation’, which led to delays.
A revised plan by Sytner Group subsidiary Guy Salmon was submitted in May that saw the development footprint reduced by nearly a third from 4,172 square metres to 2,874 square metres.
The amended scheme is for three buildings, comprising a two-storey main building with sales area, showroom, workshops and offices, a smart repair building, plus a valet/wash building.
The idea is to create more outdoor display space as demand for EVs rises, said Guy Salmon. More parking is also being sought – up by 75 spaces to 372, although the increase is for display, storage and maintenance, with staff and customer parking being cut.
Planning officers have recommended that the new application is approved when the planning committee meets on Wednesday (18th), reports the Portsmouth News.
A report to the committee says: ‘Due to the acquisition of much of the Lakeside Business Park by Portsmouth City Council [PCC], it has not been possible to complete the legal agreement for ecology mitigation as originally envisaged, which has led to a delay in determination.
‘An alternative agreement between PCC and the applicant to secure the off-site ecology mitigation is now being progressed.’
Pictured is an early artist’s impression of the showroom
