High hopes for the harbour as plans go green
Council vote gets a big majority
‘THIS is our ferry port moment.’
That was city council boss Gerald Vernon-Jackson’s message to the chamber as councillors tonight voted to buy Lakeside North Harbour.
It is hoped the purchase, worth an estimated £100£150million, will spearhead the regeneration of the north of the city and reap future profits that can be spent on local services.
Contracts for the Cosham site are expected to be exchanged by June 24, enabling the council to begin a 35-year payment plan for its offices, retail units, car park, the Village Hotel and the nearby Porsche garage.
‘This is an enormous opportunity that means we aren’t dependent on other companies and we can take the future of the city into our hands, and that’s brilliant,’ said Lib Dem Cllr Vernon-Jackson.
‘It means we’re in control of how that area develops so we can create more jobs and wealth to lift people out of poverty.’
Twenty-four councillors voted in favour of the buy, with one against it.
Cosham Conservative councillor Matt Atkins, who was among the 10 who abstained, said the plan was ‘ultimately’ good but questioned its pace, after it was announced by the council just eight days ago.
He said: ‘It’s clearly a site that has a lot of potential for the people of Portsmouth but it’s being done at a high speed and a very large sum of money is being spent.’
In her speech, Tory leader Donna Jones said she was so excited she ‘nearly fell over’ when she learned of the plan, while Labour leader Stephen Morgan backed it but said it was ‘not without risk’.
No detailed plan for the project has yet been drawn up and its exact sale price will be protected by a non-disclosure agreement.