The Fratton Bridge Centre developments "massively exceeding expectations" as units start to fill

The News, Portsmouth

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00:00Thank you for meeting us here. We're in the Bridge Centre, seeing some of the work that's been taking place.

00:05How happy are you with how it's progressing?

00:08It's been a really exciting project, this one.

00:11When we got the centre we knew that we wanted to be able to bring the units back into use.

00:15A lot of the local community complained that for years a lot of the units inside the Bridge Centre had sat empty.

00:20So we knew we wanted to do that and we had some ideas about how it might work,

00:23engaging with community groups, organisation and outreach.

00:26But this has massively exceeded our expectations.

00:30We've already seen Fratt & Together take occupation of the new community pantry

00:34and make a space that they're going to have just outside the centre itself.

00:39And then we've got the Parenting Network and the Baby Hub relocating in here right to the heart of the community

00:44that really need that support and that engagement.

00:47So you've got great footfall here going to and from ASDA's

00:50and a brilliant opportunity to put outreach and support right where people actually can access it

00:55and feel that it's a democratic space they can walk into

00:58rather than accessing some kind of statutory service.

01:01And you can make a much bigger impact by doing that in this community, so it's fantastic.

01:05We've got a waiting list now for people wanting to move in.

01:08We've got other units still to open.

01:10There's what we call a STEM Hub, so Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths,

01:15sort of through the story of computing that's going to be opening fairly shortly.

01:19So there's more to come and we really hope that this is something the local residents

01:23are going to continue to respond to because it's for them.

01:26Yeah, perfect. I know in your announcement as well you said you wanted it to be a multi-use space.

01:31I wonder if you could just describe a little bit what's meant by that.

01:34Well, we've still got an opportunity because there's quite a nice bit of covered space outside here.

01:38So we wanted to consult with the community and work out what we can do.

01:42It could be small mini markets that we put in or it could be other drop-in services

01:47or advice for people to engage with as they're coming through.

01:49But also we very much want the people who occupy these units to become their own community

01:53and to feed off each other and benefit from the experience that they've got

01:57and in doing so do even more for the local community.

02:00Perfect. Obviously, we kind of said as well that you've got a waiting list,

02:03so has there been a good response from people who would take up units?

02:06Yeah, I mean, this has happened organically.

02:09Matt, who runs this brilliant organisation, contacted me and said,

02:12Steve, I need to move. We need a different space. Can you help?

02:15And I said, I think so.

02:17And within days the conversation was happening and this journey was underway.

02:23So it's great sometimes being leader of a council and being able to make those connections

02:28and in this particular one I'm thrilled that we've got such a brilliant organisation

02:31like the Parenting Network who've been able to come in here and really make this fly.

02:36Perfect. And obviously, we're just across from the book centre which is across the road

02:40and there's been some controversy in terms of a feeling that they've been forced out.

02:45I know they've also been offered one of the units that we've seen today.

02:48What was your response to that claim?

02:51Well, the offer is still on the table to relocate to the unit that you've seen.

02:54It's all been redecorated. We can move all the shelving, all the stock.

02:58We've got an additional stock space to move the stock into.

03:00But the unit that they've currently been occupying is vital for office space conversion

03:05to make it possible for us to have all of these other organisations in here

03:10paying lower than market rates.

03:12So what we're trying to do is help the community

03:14but we also have to make sure that we do that without actually losing money

03:18and that would enable us to do that.

03:20Perfect. Thank you.

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