ECF selected for Portsmouth City North regeneration

Portsmouth City Council has selected ECF as preferred partner for the regeneration of City Centre North, beginning work to determine how a 13.25-hectare brownfield site can be transformed into a major new mixed-use neighbourhood.

The site has capacity for up to 2,300 homes alongside workspace and leisure uses, with more than 240,000 sq ft of new public realm proposed, including a significant urban park.

Rather than representing the start of development, the agreement begins a period of masterplanning and viability work intended to establish what can realistically be delivered on the site and how the regeneration could be brought forward.

ECF and Portsmouth City Council will initially work under a Development and Masterplanning Services Agreement. Subject to the outcome of that work, the partnership could progress to a formal Development Agreement covering delivery of City Centre North.

The appointment represents an important attempt to unlock a regeneration opportunity that has been under consideration for several years, while responding to wider changes in how city centres are used.

Councillor Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “It’s fair to say that bringing forward plans for City Centre North has taken longer than anyone would have hoped, but Portsmouth has changed significantly during that time, and so have people’s expectations of what they want from their city centre.

“The way we shop, work and spend our leisure time has evolved, giving us the opportunity to create something that is better suited to the city’s future needs.”

Current proposals envisage a predominantly residential mixed-use district incorporating homes across a range of tenures alongside employment, leisure and public spaces.

Improved connections through the development would also seek to better link Portsmouth's existing city centre with surrounding neighbourhoods, helping increase footfall and support local businesses.

Pitt added: “We have a real opportunity to create a thriving new neighbourhood with much-needed homes, quality public spaces and opportunities for local businesses, while improving connections between the city centre and waterfront.”

The approach reflects a wider shift taking place in town and city centre regeneration across the UK. As traditional retail-led development models have weakened, housing and public realm are increasingly being used to introduce permanent populations and support more diverse local economies.

ECF combines Homes England's National Housing Bank, L&G and Muse and has worked alongside local authorities on complex regeneration projects for almost 25 years.

Its existing portfolio includes Manor Road Quarter in Canning Town, Stockport 8, Bradford City Village, Smithgate in Wolverhampton, Greyfriars in Northampton and Station Gateway in Stevenage. ECF has a long-term target to deliver 17,000 homes and more than one million sq ft of commercial space by 2036.

Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of ECF, said: “City Centre North is one of the most significant regeneration opportunities on the south coast. It has the potential to deliver essential new homes, public space, jobs and connectivity in the heart of Portsmouth, supporting the Council’s wider ambitions for the city.”

However, the immediate focus will be on establishing what can actually be delivered.

Lyons said: “We’re looking forward to working with Portsmouth City Council over the coming months to explore the site in detail, test what’s deliverable here, and build the case for how we might take this forward together.”

That viability work will be particularly important given the pressures affecting large-scale regeneration projects, including construction costs, infrastructure requirements and the economics of delivering mixed-tenure housing.

City Centre North sits within Portsmouth's wider growth ambitions and alongside other investment in the city, including the creation of the Portsmouth Business Improvement District.

For Portsmouth, however, the site presents a much larger opportunity to reconsider the role of part of its city centre.

If the partnership ultimately progresses to delivery, the scheme could replace a substantial area of brownfield land with thousands of homes and major new public spaces while strengthening connections across the centre.

The next phase will determine whether that ambition can be converted into a viable and deliverable masterplan.