Council leader sets sights on regeneration, buses and cost of living after election victory

“Portsmouth people deserve decent places to live,” says the leader of Portsmouth City Council Steve Pitt as he outlines regeneration and housing plans following his party’s election victory.

The Liberal Democrat councillor has outlined his priorities after forming a majority administration at Portsmouth City Council.

He said: “We’re very aware that a lot of people are very much struggling,” and stressed the importance of ensuring residents “know what support is available form the council”, including advice for those who do not qualify for direct support.

Cllr Pitt’s declaration comes as he set out three key priorities for the new administration which is now in full control of the council.

The Portsmouth Lib Dems had previously led a minority administration with 18 councillors on the 42-seat council. Following the local elections, the party increased its representation to 22 seats, giving it an overall majority.

Cllr Pitt said the first is “continuing to make sure” people are supported through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

He said the council would continue delivering the government’s Crisis and Resilience Fund, which replaced the Household Support Fund, despite representing an overall loss of £124,000 for the city’s cost-of-living support.

He added that the council would continue working with and funding food banks and pantries because “they provide an absolutely vital service”.

“A lot of people don’t understand that some of the people that need to access that service are working full time but can’t cover all their overheads.”

Residents can learn more about the CRF and other forms of support on the councils’ cost of living hub webpage.

Cllr Pitt, who successfully defended his Milton seat last week, also said he is “absolutely determined” to continue improving public transport, describing it as a “key objective”.

As of March this year, Portsmouth had seen a 41 per cent increase in public transport use over the previous two years, marking the strongest post-Covid recovery of any UK city.

He said strong public transport networks are “ultimately” better for everyone because “less cars on the road means less delays for those that do have to drive”, while also improving air quality.

The council leader also said the authority is pressing ahead with regeneration projects, including the City Centre North scheme, which aims to create around 2,300 homes and 10,000 square metres of commercial space.

Pitt said he is continuing to lobby the Government over the City Centre Roads project, which would unlock land for regeneration, reroute traffic to reduce congestion on Market Way and Commercial Road.

He said the project is “absolutely key to having a unified site up there so it doesn’t have a road running down the middle of it”.

He also stressed the importance of the Somers Orchard project. The first phase will create 175 council homes on the site of the former Leamington and Horatia towers.

Cllr Pitt said: “We’ve got a huge pressure on the waiting list and with temporary accommodation and Portsmouth people deserve decent places to live.”

He also highlighted joint work with Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council to develop a new recycling facility in Eastleigh capable of processing a wider range of materials.

He said there needed to be a push to keep the project on schedule after delays, adding it would deliver a “first rate recycling policy for the city which is what we wanted for a very long time”.

Construction on the Chickenhall Lane site is expected to begin this summer, with the facility due to become operational in 2027 or 2028.