Local Planning
Keeping an eye out for planned changes that might impact Port Solent and maintaining regular dialogue with Portsmouth City Council Planning Policy (PCC PP) are the two most important roles that RAPS fulfils. PCC PP hosts quarterly online meetings with the RAPS Committee and RAPS receives the PCC planning newsletters. The Committee monitors planning applications and the Your City Your Say website where consultations are posted.
Below you will find, in reverse date order, links to the most important PCC planning documents relevant to the Plan examination currently underway until December 2026.
Portsmouth Local Plan Examination Hearing Sessions (Autumn 2026)
Post-submission documents, including the Statement from RAPS M7.06, have been published alongside a large number of other new Council Documents, including the latest thinking about the Tipner bridge link (PCC 33 and PCC 34). For the avoidance of unnecessary speculation, this new work around the bridge idea is intended to inform post-2040 planning and is NOT designed to bring forward construction that supports the 2040 plan under examination at this time.
The key submitted documents (KD) under examination are KD01, KD02 and KD03 and the Inspectors will consider all relevant evidence submitted to the examination, including the Statement of Common Ground in respect of Port Solent and the proposed Main Modifications, where they relate to the matters being considered, and all other evidence submitted. These include a tall buildings study (added to the documentation in April 2026 but originally authored in 2009!). A bridge feasibility study was also published as long ago as 2010 and further studies published in September 2026 (PCC 33 and PCC 34) merit a close read: the new bridge could be more feasible than we had been led to believe!
To keep up to date on progress of the Examination of the Portsmouth Local Plan, please refer to the Portsmouth Local Plan Examination website. Your attention is drawn to Matter 7 Questions 54-59 in the MIQ and to pages 38-9 (PLP 11) of PCC's answers to the Examiners' initial questions.
Also see various mentions of Port Solent in PCC's Infrastructure Delivery Plan (2025).
Face to face examination sessions began at the Guildhall on October 6th: the session dedicated to Port Solent was on October 22nd. A brief report appears alongside and sessions can be viewed live or recorded at https://www.youtube.com/@PCC-DemocraticServices
Relevant statements concerning Port Solent in the adjoining MIQ pdf are on page 2 (para 7) and pages 19-20 (para 54-59)
Port Solent development
The Statement of Common Ground (SCG) March 2026 for the Port Solent site outlines an agreed strategic direction between Portsmouth City Council (PCC), Premier Marinas, and CBRE Investment Management regarding the Portsmouth Pre-Submission Local Plan Addendum.
The SCG draws on and makes reference to the 2011 Concept Statement for Tipner, Portsea Island and Port Solent.
NB This a separate issue for RAPS although obviously connected to the Portsmouth Plan.
Design concept that appeared in the plans from around 2014 that were abandoned in 2018 but which show uncanny resemblance to the ground plan in the Illustrative Masterplan of 2025/6.
Portsmouth Plan addendum
Consultation November 2025-January 8 2026. RAPS submission re Port Solent.
Portsmouth Plan Examination
Submission consultation statement March 2026. Portsmouth City Council formally submitted its new Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination on March 18, 2026. RAPS (Representor 50226) may be called to give evidence to its submission (email from Kerry Trueman 23-04-26). Named PCC contacts: Nick Lloyd and Lucy Howard (Planning Policy Team) with whom regular meetings have been scheduled (next being September 16th 2026.
NB This section is largely superseded by Portsmouth Local Plan Examination Hearing Sessions above.
Neighbourhood plan
In Place of a Port Solent Neighbourhood Plan
Latest Information about the Country Park will appear here in due course. Obviously any previous announcement or estimate about an opening date pre-2022 is no longer valid. Meanwhile any issues concerning the Country Park can be raised initially with RAPS who may then raise them with PCC or with Veolia.
RAPS feedback report to Highways England 09-20