VIVID secures Portsmouth brownfield site for new waterfront community

Hampshire housing association VIVID has acquired a large brownfield site in Portsmouth, marking an important step in its plans to create a new waterfront community, Victory Quay.

The land at Tipner East will be used to bring high-quality homes, green spaces and commercial, social and recreational facilities to the gateway of Portsmouth.

VIVID is working in partnership with Portsmouth City Council and Homes England to develop the community in an area which was highlighted as part of the government’s City Deal to support economic growth, create jobs and invest in local projects.

It will transform an unused, derelict, brownfield site to create 850 new homes, including those for affordable tenures such as shared ownership and affordable rent.

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The plans, which look to centre sustainability, ecology and landscape, include enhancing the waterfront promenade as well as improving connectivity from the north of Portsmouth to the rest of the city, reducing the need for car use.

Plus, new flood defences will protect Victory Quay and hundreds of other homes in Stamshaw, Tipner and North End.

Mark Perry, chief executive of VIVID, said: “Our plans are driven by the community and reflect its needs for the longer term.

“We’ve involved the community from the outset through a series of consultation events, listened and took account of their feedback by ensuring there was plenty of green open space and gardens and created a promenade/attractive waterfront with local shops to create a community.

“We also involved the community in the naming and who chose for Tipner East to be called Victory Quay, recognising the importance of the maritime history of the city and how it has evolved today.

“We want to create a neighbourhood that everyone can benefit from and will be proud of. That’s why we have worked closely with the public who were instrumental in helping shape our plans.”

VIVID has begun extensive decontamination and remediation of the land, and has agreed a plan with Natural England and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust that, once completed, will protect ecology, improve biodiversity and become a haven for wildlife.

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