Referral of the proposed subsidy to Vivid Housing Limited for Victory Quay, Portsmouth by Homes England
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-07)

The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has published a report providing advice to Homes England concerning its proposed subsidy to Vivid Housing Limited.

Administrative timetable

Final report

7 March 2025: The SAU has published its report providing advice to Homes England concerning the proposed subsidy to Vivid Housing Limited. The report sets out the SAU’s evaluation of Homes England’s Assessment of Compliance of its proposed subsidy with the requirements set out in the Subsidy Control Act 2022.
- Final report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-on-the-proposed-subsidy-to-vivid-housing-limited-for-victory-quay-portsmouth-by-homes-england) (7.3.25)
Request from Homes England

27 January 2025: The SAU has accepted a request for a report from Homes England concerning its proposed subsidy to Vivid Housing Limited in relation to Victory Quay, Tipner East in Portsmouth. This request relates to a Subsidy of Particular Interest.

The SAU will prepare a report, which will provide an evaluation of Homes England’s assessment of whether the subsidy complies with the subsidy control requirements (Assessment of Compliance). The SAU will complete its report within 30 working days.

Information about the subsidy provided by Homes England

Homes England is proposing to provide £19.794 million from its Brownfield Infrastructure and Land (BIL) grant funding to Vivid Housing Limited.

The funding will be used to remediate a former derelict industrial land on the edge of Tipner Lake on the north of Portsea Island in Portsmouth, Hampshire. It will cover infrastructure works including the construction of a new sea wall flood defence, ground rising, coastal path along the shoreline, a bird conservation area and site utilities. The remediation of the site will enable Vivid Housing Limited to deliver a residential redevelopment at Victory Quay/Tipner East, consisting of 835 dwellings and four commercial units. Funding will be available against agreed infrastructure costs from March 2025 to March 2027.

Following previous unsuccessful regeneration plans over the last 10 to 20 years, Vivid Housing Limited (a local Registered Provider of affordable and social homes) acquired the site with the intention of delivering an exemplar, low-car, gateway development in line with the Portsmouth Local Plan vision.

Homes England considers that the Subsidy will resolve years of market failure and unlock a policy objective of regenerating this brownfield site and delivering substantial number of new homes – including the provision of at least 30% affordable housing.

The proposed subsidy exceeds £10,000,000 and therefore qualifies as a ‘Subsidy of Particular Interest’ (SoPI) under the UK Subsidy Control Regime.

Information for third parties

If you wish to comment on matters relevant to the SAU’s evaluation of the Assessment of Compliance concerning the Homes England’s proposed subsidy to Vivid Housing Limited please send your comments on the date stipulated in the timetable above. For guidance on representations relevant to the Assessment of Compliance, see the section on reporting period and transparency in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-subsidy-control-functions-of-the-subsidy-advice-unit/operation-of-the-subsidy-control-functions-of-the-subsidy-advice-unit).

Please send your submissions to the public authority: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Please also provide a contact address and explain in what capacity you are making the submission (for example, as an individual or a representative of a business or organisation).

Notes to third parties wishing to make a submission

The SAU will only take your submission into account if it can be shared with Homes England. The SAU will send a copy of your submission to Homes England together with its report. This is to allow the public authority to take account of the submission in its decision as to whether to make or modify the scheme or its assessment. We therefore ask that you provide express consent for your full and unredacted submission to be shared. We also encourage you to share your submission directly with Homes England using the email address provided above.

The SAU may use the information you provide in its published report. Therefore, you should indicate in your submission whether any specified parts of it are commercially confidential. If the SAU wishes to refer in its published report to material identified as confidential, it will contact you in advance.

For further details on confidentiality of third party submissions, see identifying confidential information in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-subsidy-control-functions-of-the-subsidy-advice-unit/operation-of-the-subsidy-control-functions-of-the-subsidy-advice-unit).

Contacts
- CMA press team: xx-xxxx-xxxx or xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)