Extra care facility plans progress at former Edinburgh House site
Portsmouth City Councillors have approved the next steps to replace the former Edinburgh House with a new extra care facility offering up to 60 beds.
At a recent meeting, the Council reviewed a report detailing the project’s background and the challenges encountered since the site, on Sunridge Close in Cosham, was earmarked for redevelopment in 2019.
Initial funding of £9.7m was approved in February 2019. After the building’s demolition in February 2020, revised plans to increase the number of units pushed the budget to £12.7m - by March 2021, estimates rose again to £15.65m, largely due to higher specification costs.
Costs climbed further in July 2022 to £18.3m , driven by inflation in material and labour prices, as well as supply chain issues related to Brexit and the war in Ukraine. These financial pressures led to the project being paused in autumn 2022.
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Since then, the council has re-evaluated future demand and concluded that five new 60-bed extra care schemes are needed by 2040, with at least two considered urgent. Extra care housing supports older adults to live independently while providing access to on-site care and support services.
A recent massing study confirmed that the Edinburgh House site, located near QA Hospital, can accommodate 60 units.
The council now proposes adopting a new approach, previously used by Surrey County Council, based on a Design, Build, Fund, Operate (DBFO) model. Under this model, private care providers would fund the development in return for a long lease and the rental income.
Importantly, the council would retain full nomination rights, enabling it to decide who is offered housing at the new facility. As noted in council documents, this is not a “nil cost” option, but overall costs would be “significantly less” than if the council undertook the build itself.
Councillor Matthew Winnington, cabinet member for community wellbeing, health and care, emphasised: “The nomination rights are the most important part of the project because we can control who goes in there and it’s the right thing for the people in the city.”
The council began market engagement in June 2025 and plans to complete a full business case by September 2025. Procurement is scheduled throughout 2026, with a contract award anticipated by September 2026.