The council has launched a survey on housing, transport and environmental priorities for Portsmouth

Portsmouth residents are being asked to have their say on how the city should develop over the next 20 years.

The Future Portsmouth Plan will guide development in the city up to 2045, covering issues including new homes, jobs, transport, infrastructure, the environment and heritage.

The scoping consultation, which opened on Tuesday (September 29), is the first stage in preparing the plan.

Residents are being asked whether the council’s vision for Portsmouth remains appropriate and what the city’s priorities should be.

One of the biggest challenges identified is housing, with the latest government formula indicating a need for 1,022 homes a year in Portsmouth.

However, the council says the city’s constrained island geography means it is unlikely to be able to meet that need in full.

It says it will therefore speak to neighbouring authorities about whether they can accommodate some of Portsmouth’s unmet housing need.

The plan will also consider the amount and location of employment space, with the council highlighting unemployment rates above regional and national averages, ageing business premises and a gap between residents’ skills and available jobs.

Portsmouth’s road network is another key issue.

The consultation document says the city’s roads cannot be expanded because of its compact nature and that it is not possible to facilitate ever-increasing car use.

Instead, the plan is expected to focus on moving people rather than vehicles, alongside improved public transport and walking and cycling routes.

The council is also seeking views on protecting Portsmouth’s natural environment, with 40 per cent of the city’s administrative area covered by international, national or local nature designations.

The consultation runs until 11.59pm on November 2, 2026. The council’s current timetable aims for the Future Portsmouth Plan to be adopted in April 2029. More information can be found in the council’s scoping document.

At the same time, the council is running a “Call for Sites”, which will run alongside the local plan consultation to allow landowners and developers to submit sites for potential development.