Portsmouth chooses ECF as regeneration partner for next stage of major city centre scheme

Portsmouth City Council has selected the English Cities Fund (ECF), a company owned by Homes England’s National Housing Bank, L&G and Muse, as the preferred development partner for the next phase of a 2,300-home masterplan.

The city centre north project covers 13.25-hectares of brownfield land, with plans to deliver over 240,000 sq ft of new public spaces, including a park, alongside housing, workspace and leisure facilities.

Phase one of the scheme has received detailed outline planning consent for two mixed- use blocks, including 550 homes with 30% for affordable housing. Of the affordable tenures, 70% will be for affordable rent and 30% for shared ownership.

Outline planning permission has also been granted for the project’s later phases, including up to 1,800 dwellings alongside new retail, food and beverage spaces and public realm.

The first phase will occupy council-owned land, while land assembly processes will be undertaken to acquire remaining privately owned properties in later stages.

Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “It’s fair to say that bringing forward plans for city centre north has taken longer than anyone would have hoped, but Portsmouth has changed significantly during that time, and so have people’s expectations of what they want from their city centre.

“The way we shop, work and spend our leisure time has evolved, giving us the opportunity to create something that is better suited to the city’s future needs.”

Following the signing of the development and masterplanning services agreement (DMSA), ECF and Portsmouth City Council will work together over the coming months to explore development options and test viability. Subject to the outcome of this work, the partnership would then progress to a development agreement (DA), which would formalise the delivery of city centre north.

In February 2026, the council announced it would begin the process of selecting a master developer to oversee the project, following last year’s developer engagement work.