Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Portsmouth’s fourth One Stop store set to open in The Hard

Portsmouth’s fourth One Stop store set to open in The Hard
The ground floor of Brunel House in The Hard, Portsmouth has been proposed for a new One Stop store. (Photo: One Stop via LDRS)

Years after the upper floors of the building were converted from offices into flats, plans for the ground floor convenience store at Brunel House in The Hard, Portsmouth are being progressed.

A planning application has been submitted by One Stop to move into the former Ministry of Defence block by installing machinery needed to operate a food shop as well as an ATM.


Should it open, it would be the convenience store chain’s fourth branch in Portsmouth.

The rest of the building was controversially converted into flats beginning in 2019 under planning rules that allowed the work to take place without a full planning application being needed.

Concerns were raised that this allowed many of the ‘rabbit hutch’ flats to be just half the size of minimum space standards set by the government.

Work to create the 153 studio flats was completed last year after being delayed by the pandemic.

In 2014 Bouygues Development proposed building a 40-storey block of flats on the site but its plans were abandoned after the scheme was rejected by a council planning committee the following year.

Three planning applications have now been submitted for the conversion of the ground floor of the building: one for the installation of the new equipment and ATM, a second for One Stop branding to be put up across the front of the building and the third for a certificate of lawfulness for the use of the space.

A heritage statement submitted with the application because the site falls within the Gunwharf conservation area and said the shop would not have a negative effect.

“In order to occupy the ground floor areas of the building and for it to support the local community through the provision of a functional convenience store, the installation of refrigerators, freezers, etc are essential to ensure longevity of produce and foods within the store,” it says.

“The proposals will have no detrimental effects on the conservation area of Gunwharf nor any of the listed buildings nearby.”

The council has set deadlines over the coming weeks for it to reach decisions on the applications.

More for you

VApril 2025 UKVIA campaign poster promoting vaping as a quit-smoking tool
Photo: iStock

Vape awareness campaign to begin amid record-high misperceptions

VApril, the largest and most successful vape awareness campaign in the world, is returning for its eighth year amid record-high misperceptions around vaping and stop smoking tool.

Created by the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the initiative comes at a critical time for the UK vaping sector, with half of smokers wrongly believing vaping is as harmful - or worse - than smoking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tŷ Hywel launch of 2025 ACS Welsh Local Shop Report on March 26
iStock image

New report shows value of Wales' convenience stores

Almost all convenience stores in Wales engaged in some form of community activity last year, shows a latest report, shedding light on the value that Wales’ 3,000+ convenience stores provide as community hubs, local employers of over 26,000 people, and significant contributors to the Welsh economy.

Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has officially launched its 2025 Welsh Local Shop Report, celebrating the key contributions that Welsh convenience stores make to their communities.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK inflation at 2.8% in Feb 2025 before Rachel Reeves’ budget speech
iStock image

Inflation dips as experts warn of  future spikes

British inflation slowed more than expected in February, bringing some relief to consumers ahead of a likely new pick-up in price growth and to finance minister Rachel Reeves before her budget update speech today (26). However, analysts have warned that it inflation will be pushed again soon due to costs arising from the Budget.

Consumer prices rose by 2.8 per cent in annual terms in February after a 3.0 per cent increase in January, the Office for National Statistics said, as clothing and footwear prices fell for the first time in more than three years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fever-Tree premium mixers being served at an upscale London bar

Fever-Tree maintains market leadership despite shifting consumer trends

Fever-Tree range

Fever-Tree reports strong revenue growth

Premium mixer brand Fever-Tree saw its revenue growth accelerate to 7 per cent in the second half of its financial year to 31 December, helping it recover from a wet start to the summer season in 2024.

The firm’s total revenue was up 4 per cent to £364 million over the 12-month period, despite a 3 per cent drop to £111.1m in the UK, where low consumer sentiment and a declining gin category hit demand for its products.

Keep ReadingShow less
Co-op member shops for Aldi price-matched essentials like 85p milk in 2025 campaign
Photo: iStock

Co-op joins in Aldi price match race

Co-op is stepping up the price war in the convenience sector by rolling out its version of the Aldi price match pledge, which has been adopted by several of the supermarket multiples in recent years.

From Wednesday (26), the Co-op will start matching the discounter’s prices on over 100 everyday essentials, including fresh fruit, milk, eggs and bread.

Keep ReadingShow less