Abandoned Victorian prison gets go ahead for housing development

City planners have given the go ahead for the redevelopment of Portsmouth’s abandoned Victorian prison into housing.

Following a vote by the Planning Committee Members at Portsmouth City Council, HMP Kingston, a prison built in 1877, will be transformed into housing by heritage developer, City & Country.

Plans for the abandoned site include the construction of 230 homes, with the consented scheme developed by Feilden Clegg Bradley.

The Grade II listed cell block will be converted into apartments, with proposals also including the retention of the listed walls and gatehouse, featuring a small café.

Prior to the submission of the application to Portsmouth City Council, the public were invited to a number of public consultation events. Over 5,000 residents and community representatives attended the meetings, and were given the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposals.

Richard Winsborough, Associate Director (Planning) at City & Country, commented: “Restoring these buildings was of paramount importance to us when we purchased Kingston Prison and we are pleased that members at Portsmouth City Council recognised the need of delivering a new future for the redundant site. As well as providing fantastic, characterful new homes, the development will open up the prison to the wider community and enable the enjoyment of these magnificent buildings for years to come.”

HMP Kingston is the first prison conversion into residential that has been bought by the developer, and the first of four prisons that they have purchased to successfully gain planning permission.

The other three prisons purchased, which are hoped to be similar housing schemes include HMP prisons Shepton Mallet, Dorchester, Gloucester.

Councillors that voted for the plans were Cllr Jenny Brent, Cllr Ellcome, Cllr Galloway and Cllr Gemma New. Those who voted against the plans were Cllr Steve Pitt Cllr Hugh Mason and Cllr Lee Hunt.

 

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