A whole range of key projects will reach major milestones - or even be completed - in exciting times for our city which is also celebrating its 100th anniversary of achieving city status.
Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Councillor Steve Pitt said: “2026 is set to be an exciting year for Portsmouth, as we celebrate our centenary year as a city. Many of our major projects will start to move quickly in the new year, and others, such as the Hilsea Lido revamp and the North Portsea Coastal Scheme, will be complete.
“We are committed to investing in all areas across the city, improving the quality of life for our residents, alongside making Portsmouth an attractive place to live and invest in.”
We look at 13 major projects across our city and what 2026 has in store for them:
5. City Centre North project
This is a project a long-time in the making and there are high hopes we will finally see some movement in 2026. Ambitious plans have been mooted to revamp the area with new homes, shops and open spaces. This includes the flat carpark on the site of the old Tricorn centre as well as the old Sainsbury's supermarket site which is currently the home of Pitt Street Skatepark. The city council has been working through an early market engagement exercise with Mace, Montagu Evans and Vail Williams and we are reviewing the findings from the market. A further update proposing the way forward is expected to be presented at a Cabinet meeting early next year. Alongside this, the council has been actively promoting city centre opportunities at events and online through our Invest Portsmouth platform. This is for both our sites and ones owned by private developers. For example, we recently organised a tour of development sites attended by over 50 property industry experts and investors and hope to do another in the new year alongside attending events where we can showcase the opportunities. So we hope that some of those empty sites will start to disappear soon! Photo: Contributed
6. Horsea Island Country Park
The regeneration of the city is not being about homes, business and shops - it is also about green spaces and there are hoped that 2026 will be a year when a key project will take a step forward. A new 128-acre Horsea Island Country Park is being created on the former landfill site next to Port Solent visible next to the M275. The country park was originally due to open in 2020 but the timescale slipped significantly, with key measures needing to be put in place including the correct monitoring infrastructure and active management plans for the site. When finished, the country park will be 'the equivalent of 86 football pitches’ and feature a wood with 50,000 trees, wildflower meadows, cycle trails, footpaths, picnic areas and stunning views across Portsmouth's historic harbour towards the Spinnaker Tower. The city council is working with waste disposal contractor Veolia and other partners on the complex contractual and environmental legalities of handing back the site to the council. Once these elements have been agreed, the council will be able to bring forward a plan for the use of the site in future. Meanwhile, the new planting is continuing to establish itself. | Google Streetview
7. Victory Quay
VIVID is creating 835 new homes at the former Pounds scrapyard site in a waterfront development which will transform the prime site known now as Victory Quay. When complete, the site will have housing in a range of properties from two-storeys to ten-storeys high, with the largest at the northern most point of the site descending down to the smallest closest to Stamshaw. There will also be a coastal footpath and some community and commercial facilities on site which is very visible when you enter the city from the M275. The first homes are expected to be ready for residents in late 2026 which will be great progress! | Habibur Rahman
8. Sea defences in Southsea
Southsea is getting a whole new look - and next year we will finally be able to see it! In spring 2026, the Southsea Common section of the scheme between Hovertravel and Blue Reef will reopen to the public. Residents and visitors will be able to enjoy a new-look promenade, as well as seating areas and new planting. The road will also be made one-way (which will take some getting used to!) And further east along the beach the 'enlargement' work taking place between Speakers' Corner to Coffee Cup ) will also be finished. This will see the size of this beach doubled which in itself will create additional sea defences. The Coastal Partners team will then start on the civil engineering work to build the new sea defences in the area. This will be completed in summer 2027. | Marcin Jedrysiak Photo: Marcin Jedrysiak