Government decision received for Tipner West

Portsmouth City Council have received a letter from the government which has set the future direction for Tipner West, which will put nature at the heart of the development.

As part of the Council’s Portsmouth Local Plan preparations, it asked the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt.Hon. Angela Rayner MP, for a letter confirming that the homes and jobs it had previously been asked by government to deliver at Tipner should be considered “imperative reasons of overriding public interest” (IROPI) for some limited reclamation of land and works in Portsmouth Harbour.

Despite previous advice from the government, it has now issued a negative opinion concluding that the identified public benefits are not considered overriding grounds to allow the proposed development allocation in the emerging Local Plan. This does now give some indication on the future direction of development of Tipner West, which is likely to include a nature reserve at the south of the site. There may still be an opportunity to create a new employment hub, along with some housing, on a smaller scale than before.

Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, said:

“The City Deal we made with the government back in 2013 obliged us to bring forward a set number of homes and jobs on the site. We would only have been able to meet those targets by allowing significant development involving land reclamation. The government have now told us that we cannot do this.

“This means we can finally get this project moving forward with a different balance of nature, employment and housing on the site, along with suitable flood protection, which will overcome environmental concerns that have been raised previously.”

By including the IROPI request as part of the local plan preparations, the Council has saved a significant amount of money and work as opposed to requesting it during the examination of the Local Plan or as part of a standalone planning application. It does not affect the development on the neighbouring Tipner East site, now known as Victory Quay, which was granted planning permission by the Council in 2023 for 835 homes.

The Council will be seeking a further explanation from the government for their reasons for declining their IROPI request, to ensure that the future direction of the project is not jeopardised in future, and exploring opportunities for the City Deal for Portsmouth.

The Portsmouth Local Plan is the statutory development plan that will guide development in the city up to 2040. This Plan allocates sites for development, sets targets for new homes and jobs. It also introduces city wide policies on design, greening and the climate emergency. Work will continue to prepare the plan for submission by June 2026 to meet Government deadlines.

For more information visit www.portsmouth.gov.uk/localplan