Land Rover showroom set to start motoring
Final approval of plan expected
FINAL approval of plans for a Land Rover dealership at a Portsmouth City Councilowned business park is set to be made tomorrow - more than two years after being approved by councillors.
The Sytner Group planning application for Lakeside was provisionally approved in January 2020 but delays in reaching an agreement on ecological mitigation measures and the council's acquistion of the site have prevented final sign-off.
The scheme will be put before the planning committee tomorrow with a recommendation that permission be granted.
'In determining the previous application for a car showroom, it was demonstrated that the office development previously permitted could be provided elsewhere on the wider Lakeside site,' a report published ahead of the meeting says. 'It was therefore determined that allowing the car showroom would not prejudice the delivery of office development on the site as a whole.
'There has since been no material change in the policy position that would warrant a different determination. The principle of the proposed car showroom is therefore considered to remain acceptable.'
It adds that a £10,000 contribution to council ecological measures on the western edge of Lakeside have also now been agreed to mitigate the damage of a loss of bird roosting areas.
Designs for the dealership have been revised since the application was first submitted in 2019 in a bid to cater to increasing demand for electric vehicles.
The layout of the site has been changed to increase the view of its showroom from the access road while also reducing the size of the twostorey building by combining proposed repair and valet facilities.
'The increasing success of this businesses is resulting in the need to provide a larger brand new facility to cope with demand and increase operational facilities,' a statement submitted by Taylor Design Architects says.
'The application site has been subject to two previous planning applications and has subsequently been developed to reflect changes within the business requirements.
'The design of this prestigious dealership will compliment and enhance the quality of the local area.'