Latest news with #StevePitt
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Devolution: Hampshire and Isle of Wight mayor election date set
Elections for a new mayor for the Hampshire and Solent region will take place next year, the government has plans involve transferring powers from Westminster to English regions, alongside additional funding and Hampshire and Solent region is set to gain its own powers over transport, housing, education, healthcare and local economic minister Jim McMahon confirmed the deal could move forward, with mayoral elections held in May 2026. The Hampshire and Solent region, along with Sussex and Brighton, Cumbria, Cheshire, Warrington, Norfolk and Suffolk and Greater Essex, joined the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) in McMahon said: "We are taking the next step in our devolution revolution, shifting power out of Whitehall and into our communities..."The six devolution priority areas are leading the way towards a new era of devolved power in England and a stronger relationship between central and local government."The news was announced at meeting of Hampshire County Council by the leader, Nick Adams-King, who said: "We've got devolution." Alex Winning, leader of Southampton City Council, said it marked a "pivotal moment"."It reflects our shared ambition and readiness to take on greater powers and deliver real benefits for our communities," he of Portsmouth City Council, Steve Pitt, said: "Devolution has the potential to benefit Portsmouth residents and businesses and the wider area and deliver extra regional powers and investment in jobs, infrastructure and services."A separate restructuring of local government is running alongside the devolution plans which would see district and borough councils scrapped.A consultation is under way, with three options, all involving the creation of five councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Portsmouth council seeks funds for urgent museum upgrades
Museums in Portsmouth are to be cleared out and reorganised in an effort to help bring long-buried finds back into the public being presented to Portsmouth City Council have said the main collections store for Portsmouth museums, located at Hilsea, requires "urgent upgrades" and is currently unfit for 2018, the natural history collection had been without a curator for 30 years, leading to parts of the collection now being difficult to access and damaged by council, which runs the museums, say they will be recruiting for a new collections manager to lead the project, as well as new volunteers to help with basic cataloguing and conservation. Old cannons which can no longer be maintained may also be offloaded, according to council documents, and some cannons which have been lent out to other locations for decades may not be sought for return. Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: "At the heart of this plan is our commitment to making our collections as accessible as possible."To support this goal, we are exploring funding opportunities to upgrade our existing storage facility in Hilsea, ensuring it meets modern standards for accessibility and preservation."The council hopes to eventually create a new storage site at Lumps Fort, near canoe lake, on the seafront in Portsmouth. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Portsmouth City Council may have to demolish border control post
Council leaders have said they could be forced to get rid of a multimillion-pound border control post which looks set to become "obsolete".Portsmouth International Port's checking station could become redundant under the UK's new trade deal with the EU which scraps most checks on food, animal products and agricultural simplified approach has been welcomed by port authorities but it has called into question the future of post-Brexit border leader of Portsmouth City Council, Steve Pitt, said the local authority might have to consider demolishing the facility, which was built three years ago under the previous Conservative government, if inspections ceased. He added: "After five turbulent years of uncertainty, we welcome the news that food and animal imports, and border checks, could be simplified."As a major port anything that avoids delays is always welcomed."Portsmouth International Port's building required a £6m contribution from the city council.A further £17m for the "highly specialist, bespoke facility" was covered by central government."We have repeatedly asked for a clear direction on the future of the border control posts, ours is a significant piece of infrastructure that takes up two acres of operational land and has meant a loss of commercial opportunity for the port," Mr Pitt and security checks started at the site last year, two years after it was built, but much of the facility has remained Pitt said the local authority had hoped to recoup some of the costs of the council-owned facility through charging for goods to be inspected."If the border control post is no longer in use we will be looking for compensation from government to recover the shortfall," he added that the council was concerned about the staff in port health but would ensure all changes take place in consultation with them. 'White elephant' Liberal Democrat Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson said while the control post was painted black "it is a white elephant".British Ports Association (BPA) is leading calls for compensation for ports to cover the cost of infrastructure they were forced to build under the previous post-Brexit industry had invested more than £100m in border control posts but the government had not undertaken border checks at the expected level, the association Ballantyne, chief executive of BPA, welcomed the new agreement, which he said would lower barriers to on border control posts Mr Ballantyne said: "This agreement means that many new border control posts that were built at a cost of over £120m to industry to manage checks that never fully materialised are now likely to become obsolete."Government should cover the full costs of these white elephants and put this episode behind us."A government spokesperson said: "This government committed in its manifesto to negotiate an agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks, remove red tape for businesses and help tackle the cost of food, which is what we have delivered on." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Irish Sun
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Historic swimming pool set to be transformed into waterpark with kitesurfing, paddleboarding & restaurant among plans
A HISTORIC swimming pool is set to be demolished - with plans in the works to replace it with a packed-out water sports facility. The location has seen over a century of British history, providing a training ground for World War II heroes. 3 Eastney Swimming Pool was first built in 1904 and operated for over a century before closing its doors in 1904 Credit: Portsmouth City Council 3 The historic structure was labelled as 'outdated' and 'in dangerous condition' by the local council Credit: Portsmouth City Council Eastney Swimming Pool in Southsea, Portsmouth closed its doors in 2020 during the Covid pandemic and has never re-opened. Portsmouth City Council described the building, which first opened in 1904, as outdated and in a dangerous condition, citing structural issues with the walls and roof. Plans were officially approved earlier this year to demolish the historic structure. A £23.4 million project at nearby Bransbury Park will see a new leisure centre facility replace the former pool, featuring a swimming pool, gym, and GP surgery. However, the fate of the Eastney Swimming Pool site remains less certain. The demolition could potentially make way for a new water sports centre, says The hub would include facilities for kite-boarding, kayaking, and paddle-boarding. And of course, kayaking is deeply rooted within the site's history, as the Cockleshell Heroes are reported to have trained there. Most read in News Travel The iconic mission saw 13 Royal Marines attempt to paddle in kayaks to blow up German ships in the occupied part of Bordeaux in 1942. These men are believed to have trained for the stealthy mission in part at the former pool. The perfect Haven holiday park for a kid-friendly break - with direct beach access, indoor waterpark and neighbouring seaside theme park Only two of the marine survived the partially successful raid. Historic England declined to support listing the pool as a protected structure over its association with the mission. Portsmouth City Council has allocated £100,000 for the historic pool's demolition. The pool was also one of the first venues to host underwater hockey - octopush - matches. A new water sports venue on the site could provide a centrepiece for Portsmouth's Seafront Master Plan, most recently updated in 2021. This Heated Lido Is In The Middle Of London This outdoor pool is next to a popular London tube station... Less well-known than other lidos in London like Brockwell Lido, London Fields Lido and Located on Endell Street, the Oasis Sports Centre is just a five-minute walk from Known only to locals and There are also three squash courts, a sauna, and a large rooftop terrace on the site. The plans for the water sports hub include facilities like changing rooms, storage, and showers. "It has been an ambition of the council to provide a facility like this for many years, so it's great news that we can start to move forward on this project," said Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth Council. "We have a real opportunity to create something that enhances this very unique environment, so we need to make sure we get this right. "This is why we are consulting early, so we can get a clear understanding of what sports should be provided for and what other facilities should be provided in any new centre." Read more on the Irish Sun One of the And an abandoned Victorian church that was turned into one of the 3 A new leisure centre is currently being constructed at the nearby Bransbury Park to replace the outdated facilities Credit: Portsmouth City Council
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Royal Navy frigates to be based in Portsmouth
A new class of Royal Navy frigates will be based in Portsmouth the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed. In response to a question from the BBC, the MoD said all five of the new Type 31 general purpose frigates will replace ships previously based at the Hampshire naval base. The new frigates are currently being built in Rosyth in Fife, with the first due to enter service in a couple of years time. Portsmouth City Council leader Steve Pitt said the news was "important to the city". The vessels will undertake a variety of operational roles, including interception and disruption of illegal activity at sea, intelligence gathering and defence engagement. They will replace the five general-purpose Type-23 frigates currently in service with the Royal Navy. The Type 31 frigates will have advanced capabilities fitted onboard, including a supersonic anti-air missile defence system, as well as Bofors naval guns and a 4D radar system. There will also be space to house a Royal Navy helicopter. Portsmouth is already home to six 45 destroyers and the two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard hinted at the news during his visit to Portsmouth for the departure of the Royal Navy's flagship HMS Prince of Wales on its deployment on Tuesday. The announcement also means the maintenance and refits of the ships will be carried out locally. Mr Pitt said: "It's fantastic to get confirmation that Portsmouth Naval Base is to get the additional warships, helping to secure the future of the Naval Base. which is so important to the city." The MoD has also confirmed that the eight Type 26 anti-submarine frigates will, as expected, be based at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth. Mr Pollard also said there would be extra spending on the Royal Marines and the Royal Navy as part of the government's increase in the defence budget. The government's strategic defence review is due to be published later in the spring. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Construction work starts on Royal Navy frigates Royal Navy frigate order goes to Babcock Ministry of Defence
