Neighbourhood forum leader raises fresh frustration over lack of redevelopment at Portsmouth gateway

Residents say landowners in Tipner need to stop talking and get to work creating new homes, commercial space and roads to aid the wider regeneration of Portsmouth.

It comes after a masterplan was unveiled to turn part of Tipner into a maritime quarter specialising in the construction of super yachts, though that could be many years away as land in the area need to be unlocked for the scheme. But residents want action now.

Twyford Avenue resident John Cass, chairman of Stamshaw and Tipner Neighbourhood Forum, said: ‘With the latest wish list announced for the regeneration plans for Tipner West and another master plan being worked on, it seems the other part of the Tipner regeneration scheme has been forgotten about. This is Tipner East, which includes the old greyhound stadium and PD Fuel sites, both jointly owned by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tipner Regeneration Company respectively.

‘This part of the regeneration was planned to produce 630 new homes between them and should have been well under way by now, but it seems that these two landowners cannot agree on how or when they are about to start on anything in the near future,despite my repeated requests to see if there is any chance of progress in sight.’

TRC director Steve New says his firm is still committed to getting homes built – but issues still need to be resolved.

Mr New said: ‘We are currently in the process of awarding a contract to someone to clean up the land; that ensures we can build on it. What’s taking the time at the moment is we only own part of land and the Homes and Communities Agency owns another section, and we need to divide it up into individual parts.

‘We understand people’s frustration.

‘I have a letter from John Henry Pounds (Tipner west landowner), sent in 1973, which asks him not to develop his land because the council was doing a masterplan for the area.’

But Mr New added: ‘We knew nothing about the plan for a maritime quarter with super yachts. I really don’t know what is going on. No-one has approached us.’