Concern over two-year delay on Portsmouth homes project

During a virtual Portsmouth City Council meeting on February 12 a plan to allow housing association Vivid Homes and the Portsmouth Community Housing Trust to collaborate on the re-development of two empty council-owned properties in North End was agreed.

As part of the joint project the two disused buildings in Angerstein Road will be converted into four family dwellings after it was agreed the cost alone to the housing trust was too much.

But Councillor Jeanette Smith, who signed off on the first part of plans back in 2018, had concerns. She said: ‘Why has it taken two years from my initial decision? I just hope moving forward – because this is a great scheme – it launches more homes being provided. We don’t put the barriers up we need to take them down and have a more simple process and don’t let it drag for two years.’

Housing business partner, Alison Smart, explained it took a while for the trust to become established. ‘They decided they wanted to get registered status with Homes England, which takes up to two years,’ she said.

‘This left it in a position where it could not deliver the project as quickly as possible so we suggested working with Vivid. For Vivid to agree the transfer to them it had to go through their board.’

She added: ‘We have got a good relationship with Vivid now.’

The properties were formerly used as the headquarters of the Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service which has since moved to Fratton.

Once regenerated the homes will be used to house people on the city waiting list.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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