Work to start on final phase of Commercial Road facelift

The final phase of Commercial Road’s £300,000 facelift will begin on Monday 9th January, concluding renovations to the high street at the centre of Portsmouth.

Upcoming work will see new natural stone paving introduced at both ends of the precinct, refurbished seating installed, and some new trees planted.

Bike racks and sign posts will also be moved to ensure as much clear open space as possible.

Improvements to the city centre shopping area’s precinct began in October 2016, when wooden tree planters were removed, along with some temporary art installations, before work took a break to avoid disruption during the busy Christmas shopping period.

The project is expected to be completed by Easter.

Councillor Donna Jones, Leader of Portsmouth City Council and Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration, & Economic Development, said: “While we may have aspirations to develop Portsmouth’s city centre in the meantime it is still important that we make the most of what we have.

“Commercial Road is an important shopping area for the city and used by lots of residents and visitors and this project will make it a nicer environment for everyone to use.”

The work will be carried out by T Loughman Ltd., a contractor with a track record of successfully delivering improvements to shopping areas, including projects in Hemel Hempstead and Wandsworth.

Rhoda Joseph, centre director for Cascades Shopping Centre, said: “Cascades Shopping Centre is delighted to see phase one of the improvements presented to the City Centre Association has been completed.

“Phase two will continue to deliver improvements to declutter the precinct, improve the appearance of the external shopping area, and make it a better place for shoppers to browse, to meet their friends, and to shop. We look forward to its completion ahead of Easter.”