vision and plans for the future and how we deliver our services We do more than tackle fires and rescue people Catch up with all the latest that we have been involved in We’re proud to support and protect the wonderfully diverse community in which we serve We’re committed to keeping our communities safe well and informed and our prevention and protection work plays a large role in this Behind every firefighter there are specialist support teams all playing their part If you need to get in touch or find a form Bring your car down for a sparkling clean while supporting a great cause close to our hearts Every donation goes directly to The Firefighters Charity that help our firefighters and families thrive Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Portsmouth City Council have confirmed the return of the popular Southsea Food Festival on the 5th & 6th July 2025 Food businesses and traders are invited to attend this celebration weekend of Portsmouth and Southsea’s diverse food scene which attracted around 70 food and drink traders and crowds of 48,000 people last year Southsea Food Festival 2025 is celebrating its 17th anniversary and the vibrant food scene of Portsmouth & Southsea’s independent restaurants The 2-day event takes place in the heart of Southsea forming a vibrant hub of activity around Clarendon Road A live music stage and family entertainments will also return alongside a new kitchen stage For the third year running, Portsmouth City Council will be producing the event in partnership with the experienced event management team behind Victorious Festival This collaboration ensures the festival continues to deliver a high-quality experience for Portsmouth’s businesses and communities solidifying its reputation as one of the South’s largest food festivals Leader of Portsmouth City Council with responsibility for economic development “Southsea Food Festival is a fantastic community event that has grown to become one of the South’s largest food events It attracts a wide range of food businesses highlighting the absolute best from our city and surrounding areas The event remains an important annual economic driver which supports our businesses and is also a great family day out.” Manging Director of Victorious Festival echoed this sentiment “We’re excited to be able to support Portsmouth City Council with the events delivery of Southsea Food Festival again It’s a brilliant event for the whole community and we love being involved!” Applications are now open to businesses and traders to be part of Southsea Food Festival 25 For more information and application pack visit rediscoverportsmouth.co.uk We use some essential cookies to make this website work These cookies tell us how you use the website and help us to make improvements Read our cookie and privacy policy As part of the coastal defence works on Frontage 3 (Southsea Common) crews have started importing beach material The Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger Strandway arrived on May 1st and will work in the vicinity of Hovertravel terminal for around eight days This type of dredger is most commonly used for beach nourishment and will be pumping approximately 50,000m3 of shingle onto the shore between the new rock at the Naval War Memorial and Hovertravel Strandway is three times the size of the ‘rainbowing’ dredger Sospan Dau that was used for previous shingle imports The Southsea Coastal Scheme is the UK’s largest local authority-led coastal defences project It will stretch for 4.5km from Old Portsmouth to Eastney and help to reduce the risk of flooding to more than 10,000 homes and 700 businesses Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox Portsmouth City Council has announced that First Bus Solent will operate the PR3 weekend service for the 2025 summer season First Bus was appointed last year to manage the regular PR1 service for the next five years The site and PR1 buses have recently been rebranded with a vibrant new look and customers benefit from new signage at the site which is conveniently located just off the M275 The earlier start date of the PR3 will allow visitors from the LGBTQ+ community to attend free daytime activities and the community-led parade for National Pride on 7 June – the first major summer event on Southsea Common This earlier start date also means that more people can enjoy weekend trips to Southsea from the beginning of the summer season Portsmouth Park and Ride offers a low-cost allowing passengers to avoid traffic and enjoy a smoother more relaxing ride into the heart of Portsmouth the park and ride service plays a crucial role in enhancing air quality while providing an affordable and efficient way to commute and explore the city convenient journeys to Clarence Pier on the PR3 in just 16 minutes with buses running every 30 minutes at the weekend and the last bus returns from Clarence Pier to the park and ride site at 7.24 pm a special service will operate every 10 minutes on the weekend of 26 and 27 July to accommodate the large number of visitors expected for the colourful Portsmouth International Kite Festival Portsmouth Park and Ride offers excellent value for money – just £4 for up to five people to travel all day on either the PR1 or PR3 services supporting Portsmouth’s vision of becoming a greener New ticketing options have also been introduced in partnership with First Bus making it easier for visitors and commuters to purchase tickets Flexible fares can now be bought via the First Bus app and day tickets can be purchased directly from the bus driver said: “I’m delighted that we’re able to revive this popular weekend service to Southsea and seafront for 2025 Our refreshed PR1 service has already been a huge hit with visitors and commuters so it gives us great pleasure to open up the park and ride experience to a wider range of visitors this summer.” said: “It’s fantastic to be providing the PR3 Park & Ride service again for the summer making it easier than ever for visitors and locals to travel directly to Southsea and perfect way to explore – leave the car behind and enjoy the ride.” the route has been adjusted to avoid road closure along Clarence Esplanade due to ongoing Southsea Coastal Scheme improvements the service will head back towards Clarence Parade along Avenue De Caen towards The D-Day Story and return to Clarence Parade via Clarence Esplanade For more information about Portsmouth Park and Ride visit https://parkandride.portsmouth.gov.uk Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service The older residents were able to socialise with friends and enjoy the top-class entertainment and food on offer, whilst engaging with the fire service and receiving valuable safety advice including helpful cooking tips from the Recipe for Success COOK Campaign The hugely popular event is a staple in the Portsmouth calendar and free to attend for pensioners from across the city Sunday’s event featured two jam-packed hours of performances from firefighters and volunteers from other organisations Three of the local station’s watches put on performances and they were joined on the bill by a clarinet performance a new dance school and the return of the Irish band Among the attendees was the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth and Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin with this being his final time attending in his role “It’s been a pleasure to attend this event over the years I’m always proud to see Southsea Fire Station other staff and our volunteers pull together to deliver an event that has become a staple in the calendar of many over 65s in Portsmouth “Not only is this show a fantastic way for the Service to engage with some of the most vulnerable people in Portsmouth’s community but it provides an opportunity socialise whilst enjoying top class entertainment “My thanks go to everyone who was involved in or performed at the show with special thanks to Beth Medway and Southsea Green Watch for leading on the event planning.” which really helped with making this event a success “We couldn’t do this event without our amazing performers and hard-working volunteers and Fire Cadets “It was great to see so many colleagues pull together to deliver an event which means so much to older people in Portsmouth “The cost of the event is covered by fundraising that the Southsea crews undertake throughout the year and is just one of many ways that Southsea gives back to the local community I feel incredibly lucky to have been posted to such a proactive and engaged station” organisers and performers for their incredible support Welcome to bdonline.co.uk. This site uses cookies. Read our policy By 2025-04-09T05:00:00+01:00 Can ‘hold the line’ infrastructure bring people together ambitious and relentless – like simply nothing and no one is going to get in the way the government says up to 12 new towns will be under construction with red tape and environmental objections pushed aside as we begin to address the needs of the 1.3 million households currently on a local authority housing register let alone making home ownership a reality for more people Except that it can also sound a bit frantic with seemingly little time now to do things properly Just when we should at last be giving nature a forever seat at the decision-making table it seems to have been pulled away in a surprise game of musical chairs Environment secretary Steve Read has described Defra The government’s foe looks not to be Farage or the Conservatives But there is a way of managing major projects which ensures that communities benefit and nature is enhanced pack your costume and bucket and spade – we’re heading to the seaside for a deep dive into an unlikely design hero There’s something happening right now in the city of Portsmouth that we should be alert to Southsea is now home to the UK’s largest local-authority-led coastal flood defence project The £200 million scheme stretches for 4.5 km It’s been led by the city council and specialist delivery experts and is aimed at reducing the risk of flooding for more than 10,000 homes and 700 businesses Portsmouth is the UK’s third most densely populated city and the project is designed to not only protect those at the water’s edge but those further in and some of its most significant green spaces There is real urgency around flood protection in cities and towns and one of the many interesting things about what’s happening at Southsea is how the team behind the project has come together – full confession this includes LDA Design as landscape architects – to maximise the value of the scheme so that the benefits are much wider than flood defence It wasn’t all plain sailing from the start While local people welcomed the assurance of greater protection they were also worried about what this might mean for their seafront Would Southsea just gain more concrete whilst losing what made it feel special Early proposals included sections of concrete wall up to 3.8 m high Campaigners created a one-to-one wall out of cardboard to make the point that the loss The funding has always been tight and prescribed but the community came round to start to trust what the consultants were saying: that a highly complex engineering project was being approached from a place-based perspective Community benefits were held front of mind without ever losing sight of the primary goal – to keep the water out On the ground this meant understanding how people used the spaces and how nature had colonised them It meant looking at walking and cycling and how events and play could be incorporated how the seafront’s heritage – including the nearly 500-year-old Southsea Castle – could come into its own It meant meaningfully communicating with the community and working in partnership with them a split-level promenade has been created that offers views over the Solent and serves as a generous new public space – somewhere that people can head to rather than seek to avoid It was cheaper than the other main option too The project is multi-phased and still underway It’s much cited that loneliness can be as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day neighbours meet for the first time on promenades that have become lovely places to picnic and socialise In their report published at the start of the year the Environment Agency said eight million properties – one in four homes and businesses – are now in areas at risk of flooding Living with this fear has a huge impact on communities and the government has confirmed a spend of £2.65 billion to go towards addressing it The question we need to ask now is – how can we make sure that the legacy from any building push is a better place >> Also read: The rising toll of disasters: why the US needs coordinated national action on climate change Sophie Thompson is Head of Public Realm and a board member at LDA Design Essex development located in coastal flooding hotspot As new figures show building emissions on the rise Anna Beckett argues that without consistent embodied carbon data the construction industry is flying blind – and risking failure on climate targets Jimmy Bent explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping recruitment and why authenticity and human judgement matter more than ever The former prime minister has said the government’s energy policy is doomed to fail Thomas Lane asks what this means for Britain’s decarbonisation ambitions Liam Bryant argues that in the rush to develop novel low-carbon materials the construction industry risks overlooking vital lessons from the past Pereen d’Avoine considers how forgotten landscapes can become the foundation for sustainable Site powered by Webvision Cloud Below you’ll find the latest features highlighting the upcoming events here on the Isle of Wight If you would like to promote an event to OnTheWight readers, find out more Our Travel section is the place to check for fast and accurate travel updates from all the ferry companies we’ll also let you know about road closures and diversions Below are articles relating to Isle of Wight travel The latest stage of the Southsea Coastal Scheme will get underway between Blue Reef Aquarium and the Hovertravel terminal on Monday 21 October with the area due to reopen in summer 2026 Clarence Esplanade and the promenade and road will be closed and a diversion route will be in place for pedestrians and road users A temporary footpath across Southsea Common has been constructed to provide pedestrian access along the area during construction Nearby businesses including the Blue Reef Aquarium Hovertravel and Clarence Pier will remain open but The Beach Club and Southsea Rowing Club will close The Rowing Club has been relocated to a temporary building in Pier Road “The temporary closure of this area is necessary for building essential sea defences to protect Portsmouth for the next 100 years The coastal team has worked hard to ensure that access around the area is as smooth as possible and putting measures in place at the Naval War Memorial we’ve identified Serpentine Square as a great location for placing artwork along the seafront so that will be an exciting future project for local artists to get involved in.” Project Director of the Southsea Coastal Scheme “I’d like to thank the public for their patience as we work to improve the seafront area alongside building the sea defence “Looking at the completed areas around Long Curtain Moat and Southsea Castle it’s clear that we have vastly enhanced the features along the seafront and We’re looking forward to doing the same at this already imposing section of the seafront.” visitors to the section of seafront between Blue Reef Aquarium and Hovertravel can expect to see several changes for the better the coastal defences phase between the Pyramids and Speakers’ Corner is scheduled to open The entire scheme is due for completion in early 2029 The Portsmouth City Council project is the largest local authority led flood defence scheme in the UK Find out more about this phase of the scheme on the Southsea Coastal Scheme website. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Witnesses told the BBC they believe it to be around 90kg (200lb) Businesses were evacuated but not residential properties Cordons were finally lifted around 21.00 GMT on Tuesday Shortly after 21:00 police said the area had been made safe A police spokesperson said: "Our partners in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team have now safely removed the ordnance from the area "The Southsea cordons have now been lifted." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPolice still on the scenepublished at 18:14 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202418:14 GMT 3 December 2024Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have just issued an update confirming they are still on the scene at Southsea seafront They have also confirmed the cordons are still in place and are expected to remain throughout the evening Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBomb found by diggerpublished at 17:51 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202417:51 GMT 3 December 2024The bomb was dug up by an excavator at around 09:30 GMT during work on the new section of Portsmouth's sea defences Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPhotos of unexploded ordnancepublished at 17:46 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202417:46 GMT 3 December 2024Ordnance disposal company MACC International has shared photos of the device on its Facebook page The company said the bomb was a SC1000kg Air Delivered Weapon Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingOrdnance reportedly 4ft to 5ft longpublished at 17:39 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202417:39 GMT 3 December 2024According to the eyewitness the unexploded ordnance was found in the construction area and is between 4ft to 5ft (1.2m to 1.5m) long A reporter at the scene said police had set up road blocks around Southsea Common Police confirmed officers were working with a bomb disposal team to deal with the item safely a statement released by Hampshire Constabulary said: "We are urging members of the public to please avoid the area while this is carried out "We will issue an update once the cordons have been lifted." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAquarium closed due to exclusion zonepublished at 17:19 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202417:19 GMT 3 December 2024Blue Reef Aquarium released a statement earlier saying it was closed as a result of the exclusion zone the aquarium said it would remain closed until the area has been made safe "We are sorry for the inconvenience and remind all our visitors that your tickets are valid for the next six months," they added Hampshire Police previously confirmed the aquarium was one of several businesses that had been evacuated Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRoadblocks in place after unexploded ordnance findpublished at 17:05 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202417:05 GMT 3 December 2024Steve HumphreyBBC South Today A series of roadblocks have been set up around Southsea Common and officers on foot are enforcing quite a large exclusion zone The discovery is on the stretch of coast between the Blue Reef Aquarium and the Hovertravel terminal A large area is cordoned off and is likely to remain so for some time Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDiscovery made by diggerpublished at 16:49 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202416:49 GMT 3 December 2024The BBC has been told by an eyewitness that a 200lb (90kg) bomb was found by a digger during coastal defence works between Blue Reef Aquarium and Hovertravel Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAgency meeting duepublished at 16:42 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202416:42 GMT 3 December 2024A meeting is due to be held before 17.00 GMT between various agencies to discuss the latest on the operation to make the ordnance safe Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingNo residential properties evacuatedpublished at 16:41 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202416:41 GMT 3 December 2024A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said Blue Reef Aquarium Clarence Pier and parts of Southsea Common have been evacuated and cordoned off They confirmed no residential properties have been evacuated Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingOrdnance found in Southseapublished at 16:41 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 202416:41 GMT 3 December 2024Buildings have been evacuated and cordons put in place after a piece of unexploded ordnance was found Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingEmily Ford & Steve HumphreyBBC NewsImage source MACC International Ltd said police and the Royal Navy were called after the discovery of the weapon A piece of unexploded ordnance that led to buildings along a seafront being evacuated has been safely removed Cordons were put in place in the Pier Road area of in Southsea after police were called at 09:37 GMT A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said Blue Reef Aquarium Clarence Pier and parts of Southsea Common were evacuated and cordoned off during the operation A large police presence remained in Southsea after the discovery but shortly after 21:00 police said the area had been made safe MACC International Ltd released a statement saying they identified a SC1,000kg Air Delivered Weapon A spokesperson said: "Our partners in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team have now safely removed the ordnance from the area The BBC was told by an eyewitness that a bomb was found by a digger during coastal defence works between Blue Reef Aquarium and Hovertravel MACC International Ltd, a company specialising in unexploded ordnance risk, has since released images of the weapon on social media. , external The company said the ordnance had been found while staff were providing support to the coastal sea defence works and it had been identified as a SC1,000kg air delivered weapon A police cordon was put in place as a safety precaution Road closures were put in place in October for the defence works, which will last until 2026, and there is a temporary footpath through the common. According to the eyewitness, the unexploded ordnance was found in the construction area and is between 4ft to 5ft (1.2m to 1.5m) long. Police set up road blocks around Southsea Common, and urged members of the public to avoid the area during the recovery. The MoD is yet to comment on the discovery. Image source, MACC International LtdImage caption, An eyewitness said the unexploded ordnance was found in the coastal defence works construction area Do you have a story BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight should cover? Contact formContact formYou can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, external, X, external, or Instagram, external Suspected wartime bomb found near railway track Hundreds of WW2 bombs may be detonated along coast School evacuated over potentially explosive device Roadworks ordnance fear sparks city centre alert Related internet linksHampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Once again Southsea firefighters will be taking over the Portsmouth Guildhall to put on a spectacular senior citizens show this will be 43rd year the event has run for Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan spoke with Lloyds Bank management this week and raised local people’s concerns over the imminent closure of its Southsea branch During the meeting Mr Morgan discussed steps the bank is taking to ensure those who cannot access or struggle with online banking are supported to find new ways of managing their money The city MP also encouraged the bank to ensure customers are signposted to use the nearby post office which offers in-person banking services Lloyds has confirmed that it will close its branch in Palmerston Road on June 2 as it said fewer people were now using it “During my meeting with Lloyds Bank this week I shared my disappointment with their decision and encouraged the bank to take steps to ensure vulnerable people and businesses are supported to find appropriate banking alternatives “I also raised the importance of signposting customers to use the nearby post office’s in-person banking services in future “I will continue to share constituents questions and feedback with Lloyds to ensure Portsmouth people’s voices are heard.” Following the announcement of the closure earlier this month “I am deeply disappointed to hear that Lloyds Bank has announced the closure of its Southsea branch this is a branch that I use regularly and its closure is even more concerning following the shutting of the Natwest Halifax and Santander branches in Southsea in recent years “Brick and mortar bank branches are vital to those in our community who cannot access online banking or prefer to bank in person “The closure will also be a bitter blow to the branch’s staff who have helped so many Portsmouth people with their finances over the years “I will be seeking an urgent meeting with Lloyds to raise constituents’ concerns and will continue doing everything in my power to bring our high streets back to life and ensure people can continue to bank in person.” The Southsea Post Office (Southsea Post Office PO5 3PP) provides everyday Personal & Business Banking services including cash withdrawals Read more about these services: https://www.postoffice.co.uk/banking-and-bills © 2025 Stephen Morgan MP. | Privacy Statement It’s 150 years since the Battle of Southsea when thousands of protestors clashed with police and soldiers in a four-day riot on Southsea Common though not widely known part of Portsmouth’s history a popular paper has been republished detailing the turbulent event a huge crowd of men and women gathered to destroy a barrier blocking public access to what is now Clarence Pier and a section of seafront It sparked a huge riot on Southsea Common lasting four days when the Riot Act was read in Portsmouth for the last time The updated Portsmouth Papers 34: The Battle of Southsea is written by the late professor John Field The paper explains Portsmouth’s radical tradition during Victorian England when rioting was commonplace when public access was restored to the section of the common for good It contains fascinating images of Southsea pier and baths at the time (example pictured below which is on display in Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery Portsmouth City Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said: “The events that took place during the Battle of Southsea are of huge significance to Portsmouth’s history though many people don’t know about it The battle is always one of our most popular and best-loved papers so we hope this republished edition engages audiences new and old about the remarkable events 150 years ago.” The Portsmouth Papers, including the Battle of Southsea are published by Portsmouth City Council, and with 80 volumes published since 1967, are one of the longest-running and most successful series of local history publications in the country. They are available to purchase from the Portsmouth Museum shop and to borrow from the city’s libraries A public event to mark the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Southsea is being held on Saturday 3 August by Open Ya Mouth CIC, supported by the city council. It takes place on Castle Road and Southsea Common, with a parade starting at 11am, music and poetry performances and Victorian-themed events until 7pm. Find Battle of Southsea on Facebook for more information a joint venture between VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster has hit a major milestone on the Southsea Coastal Scheme by unveiling a newly completed section of the seafront from the Pyramids to Speakers’ Corner the promenade between Blue Reef Aquarium and Speakers’ Corner is fully accessible offering a stunning stretch for all to explore This improvement marks a significant leap forward as the area has been raised by 600mm to provide protection against flooding The new design also features steps leading to a managed beach and a sleek low setback wall behind the promenade all enhancing the area’s beauty and safety “This marks a significant milestone in our project as we successfully open this new section just in time for Christmas for both the local community and visitors to enjoy,” said Martin Dobby with everyone working tirelessly and collaboratively and seamless coordination of every team member have been remarkable and I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together.” The Southsea Coastal Scheme is the UK’s largest local authority-led coastal defences’ project It will stretch for 4.5km from Old Portsmouth to Eastney and help to reduce the risk of flooding to more than 10,000 homes and 700 businesses