Former prison transformed into affordable homes

A former prison has been transformed into 183 affordable homes.

Portsmouth City Council and VIVID housing association worked with private developer St Cross Homes to redevelop Kingston Prison.

The site holds 110 properties for social rent and 73 for shared ownership.

The jail closed in 2013 as part of a wider programme by the Ministry of Justice to close “old and uneconomic” prisons across the country.

The developer bought the site in 2014 and initially proposed to turn it into a museum but plans were later submitted to turn into homes.

Portsmouth City Council rejected this application and insisted it should be used for affordable housing.

In 2016, a new plan was put forward to convert the prison into luxury flats while ensuring all new-build homes were affordable.

Councillor Hugh Mason, cabinet member for planning policy and city development, said: “Delivering affordable housing options is a cornerstone of building strong communities in Portsmouth.

“Through our partnership with VIVID, we’ve demonstrated how we as a council and the private sector can work together effectively to increase the amount of affordable housing in our city.”

Kingston prison was originally built in 1877 and exclusively held inmates serving life sentences after capital punishment was abolished in 1965.

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