Portsmouth Tricorn Centre £300m development 're-evaluated'

Developer Centros said the scheme may now incorporate more housing and fewer shops

Plans for a £300m development in Portsmouth are being "re-evaluated" due to a change in people's shopping habits, the developer says.

The former Tricorn Centre area of Portsmouth was due to be regenerated with shops, a leisure hub and housing.

However, developer Centros said the scheme was now likely to contain fewer shops and more accommodation.

The company said it was working with Portsmouth City Council to review all of the options for developing the site.

'Very challenging'

A spokesman for Centros said it was still committed to taking the development forward.

However, he added: "In the aftermath of the recession, consumer shopping habits have evolved rapidly and are continuing to do so - with a greater proportion of expenditure now being online.

"Services such as 'Click & Collect' are coming to the fore and retailers are constantly reviewing their requirements for physical space."

Centros said it was possible that the residential part of the scheme may increase.

The spokesman added: "Even though the economic environment remains very challenging, we are still very confident that we will be able to find the most appropriate mix of uses and deliver a successful development that will regenerate and revitalise the city centre."

The project to regenerate the area was shelved in 2009, but Centros resurrected it last year.

At the time it was said that the scheme would have created more than 1,000 new jobs.

Councillor Luke Stubbs, a member of the minority Conservative-run administration, described the news as "disappointing" but said he understood Centros' position.

He said: "We hope that there can still be a decent amount of leisure facilities in there.

"If, in order to make that viable, we have to have increased housing then the council will have to be realistic about that."