On February 9, 2026, Portsmouth City Council published the delivery strategy for its “City Centre North” proposal, setting out plans to transform the northern part of the city centre in Hampshire into a new neighbourhood of shops, green spaces and up to 2,300 homes. The scheme focuses on about 13.25 hectares of brownfield and underused land on the former Tricorn site—land that has been largely underused since the Tricorn Centre was demolished in 2004.
The plans include the former Sainsbury’s site on Church Street, which is proposed to form part of an urban quarter featuring a flagship public park. The strategy also proposes a new transport hub to improve connections across the city and help reduce congestion in the city centre.
Local businesses and shops could see significant changes to movement and access if the scheme goes ahead, because the delivery strategy proposes rerouting some traffic away from Commercial Road to create more pedestrian-priority space. The Portsmouth City Centre BID—representing local businesses and identified in council materials as a key stakeholder—has warned it is sensitive to changes in parking and access around streets such as Charlotte Street. The strategy proposes creating a pedestrian-friendly “Portsmouth Piazza” at the junction of Charlotte Street, Commercial Road and Lake Road as a new gateway to the city centre.
The council’s report triggers a formal search for a Master Developer to oversee the multi-year programme; the process is being taken forward through market engagement and procurement routes (see the Find a Tender notice for the City Centre North market engagement). The strategy says early phases would deliver around 550 homes and the first section of the central park. Work on those early phases is projected to start in late 2026/early 2027, and the council is linking early delivery to the city’s centenary ambitions for 2026.
The council frames these proposals as part of a broader vision for high streets to adapt away from dependence on traditional shops toward a mix of living, leisure and public spaces. Council documents also identify residents in Ladywood House as among the first to receive neighbourhood improvements, with onsite works scheduled to start in late 2026.
Further details, background and the council’s full announcement are available from Portsmouth City Council and the City Centre North project site.
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