The council's executive agreed to the idea of refurbishing the Emsworth Centre, and demolishing the toilet block at the entrance to South Street car park to make way for flats and shops.

The development will still keep the entrance to the car park, while the toilet block will be rebuilt close by.

The redesign will see few car parking spaces lost, if any at all. Both sites are owned by the council.

Emsworth councillor Brendan Gibb-Gray said: "I am really quite excited about it.

"It will restore South Street. At the moment if you walk down there, you have got gaps that look like bomb sites, and the toilet, which is of no architectural value.

"It will restore the street scene and make South Street a little bit more like the High Street, or Queen Street.

"It is probably the last little bit of developing Emsworth does need."

The Emsworth Centre, at the southern entrance to the car park, is currently leased by Havant Council of Community Services, which runs meals and wheels.

The hope is after a revamp of the centre, it will be used every day of the week.

It could be used as an interpretation or education centre for visitors to the town.

Cllr Gibb-Gray added: "With the South Street centre, we need to think not of now but the next 20 to 30 years.

"It will be a real bonus for Emsworth if it comes together. It will become a focus for the town.

"We do not have a focal point. Many people come to enjoy the countryside and the sea-scape and there is very little information to what they might do and see."

Havant Borough Council's business development manager Tony Lee has been leading the project.

He said: "It is not a very efficient use of that part of South Street.

"We would like to see it used by the south of Emsworth community. We would like to see it used as an interpretation area as Emsworth is the gateway to the Chichester harbour."

He said the flats and shops built on the toilet block in the car park would help fund the development of the Emsworth Centre.

Residents were enthusiastic about the whole development idea, upon which they were first consulted in January this year.

The council will now look for a developer to preferably take on both parts of the development together. Once a suitable partner has been found, the plans will be on show to the public.

The design of the new building will have to adhere to the newly-accepted Emsworth Design Statement, which gives guidance to the design of development proposals in the town.





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