Vacant Portsmouth warehouse at Railway Triangle could be demolished and new one built

Building owner Strathclyde Pension Fund, which manages pensions for Glasgow City Council, has applied to Portsmouth City Council for permission to demolish Unit B at the end of Walton Road to make way for a replacement.

‘The scheme proposes to replace an existing industrial building with an improved design that will offer a number of benefits, including new employment opportunities to people in the local area,’ a statement submitted on its behalf by DTZ Investors, which is overseeing the project, says.

It adds that the ‘improved workplace environment will also help to attract a new occupier’ for the site which has most recently hosted a distribution centre for The Body Shop.

The proposed replacement building is of a similar size to the existing 10,000m2 warehouse but the statement said a modern upgrade to the 1980s design would help find a company to take over the lease.

A public consultation took place at the end of August although only three people responded, one of whom was advertising a business, according to the submitted statement of community involvement.

One of the respondents called on the company to tackle problems with noise from air conditioning units used when the building was last in use.

‘It has been great since the units were decommissioned, [it is] noticeably quieter and I am very keen to discourage any attempt to increase the current noise level to myself and neighbouring residents,’ they said.

The company said would install a 3m high acoustic fence in a bid to reduce problems for people living north of the railway line.

‘The application represents an exciting addition to the Railway Triangle area with a high-quality industrial building,’ it said in a letter to the council.

The council has set a deadline of December 29 for reaching a decision.