We were honoured to welcome Helen Fadipe, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), on Thursday 23 October as part of her South East regional tour championing planning.
The visit – organised by the RTPI South East and its volunteer committee members – highlighted Portsmouth’s transformation in planning performance and celebrated the city’s leadership in coastal resilience.
The visit was themed “Turning it around – from special measures to special awards,” reflecting Portsmouth’s journey from challenge to national recognition.
The day commenced at the Southsea Castle, where the RTPI President met with members of Portsmouth City Council’s planning team and the project team from Coastal Partners who are delivering the UK’s largest local authority-led coastal defence project, Southsea Coastal Scheme.
Portsmouth’s planning team was recently recognised as one of the finalists for the Local Authority Planning Team of the Year at the UK Planning Awards 2025. This nomination celebrated the team’s exceptional turnaround in planning performance following the pandemic, at the same time as delivering on the Southsea Coastal Scheme, progressing its Local Plan and permissions for other significant regeneration projects in the city. The President heard first-hand how the team overcame significant hurdles to become a model of best practice in urban planning.
During the visit, the RTPI President and the group had a guided tour of the Southsea Coastal Scheme. Valued at over £185 million, the scheme spans 4.5km from Old Portsmouth to Eastney and will reduce flood risk for more than 10,000 homes and 700 businesses. Approximately 4,000 of these properties are at risk of direct threshold inundation.
The visit concluded with informal discussions allowing the RTPI President an opportunity to engage directly with the planners behind Portsmouth’s success.
