City’s regeneration projects need to be kept on track
Just over a year ago I made a deputation to Portsmouth City Council regarding its planning department. Its services to residents and local developers was poor and they were not progressing the various development sites we have across the city to build new homes, leisure and community facilities, or business premises.
Policies they were supposed to be monitoring such as the growth of HMOs were not being acted on.
They had failed to respond to Homes England which would have enable them to master plan the St James site.
Tipner remains stagnant as they have spent millions on a completely unviable design for the peninsula.
Investment was being discouraged, businesses were tearing their hair out and people trying to get basic advice regarding home improvements were being poorly served.
I described them as the biggest block on growth we face.
Earlier this year they were out on notice that they were in danger of being designated.
That means that because their performance is so poor, the public could bypass them and go straight to the Planning Inspectorate. The Inspectorate are preparing to do this work.
However, the department for levelling Up has given Portsmouth City Council one last chance if they can show improvement by June.
So we wait and see if they have managed to achieve this.
If designation is the outcome that will be hugely disappointing and I am asking the Department for Levelling Up to consider an additional measure - whether or not designation does go ahead.
I would like the chief planning office to consider moving some of their resources into local authority areas such as Portsmouth.
If we want regeneration projects which have received public funds to completed swifty, bringing economic and quality of life benefits to many, we need to bolster planning capacity.
I do not think the council will, left to its own devices be able to concurrently managed these considerable developments, attracted further investment, and give the pubic the services they deserve.
I have formally asked the Secretary of State to consider this and loan some planning officers to Portsmouth, specifically with progressing well St James, Tipner, and ensuring the lido and other schemes remain on track.