Prior + Partners will form part of the appointed strategic advisory team, having led the initial Southampton Renaissance Vision, which was unveiled in February 2025. This long-term masterplan and prospectus, which we produced alongside the Southampton Renaissance Board and Southampton City Council, sets out a vision to transform the city centre, focusing on making Southampton a leading destination for investment, culture, innovation and resilience. The Renaissance Masterplan has identified capacity for up to 15,000 new homes, more than 2 million sq m of commercial and non-residential floorspace and supporting community infrastructure over the next two decades.
Montagu Evans and its team will support the transition from vision to delivery by developing and implementing strategies for key development opportunities, enabling a comprehensive city-wide regeneration programme. Their work will include detailed technical analysis by the multi-disciplinary team, followed by the creation of project or area-specific strategies covering masterplanning/design, site assembly, planning promotion, commercial structuring, funding and financing, and development partnering and procurement. Opportunities for using a Revolving Regeneration Fund will also be explored.
Alongside this, the team is appointed to review and evolve governance models at the local and city-wide levels, building on the success of the Renaissance Board and engaging with local, regional and national stakeholders. All work will be undertaken around the Renaissance Vision’s six key themes: Connected, Destination, Green, Innovation, Neighbourhoods and Waterfront.
Oliver Maury, Partner at Montagu Evans and head of its Development Advisory team, said: “This is one of the most ambitious and strategically important regeneration programmes currently underway in the UK. Working closely with the Renaissance Board and wider project team, our role now is to think big and develop a clear city-wide delivery plan that will navigate complex market environments and create a platform for long-term investment, regeneration and growth. It will be essential at every stage to combine a strategic approach, commercial insight and practical delivery to ensure the vision is delivered effectively and the vision to refocus Southampton as a city of opportunity is realised.”
We will be joined by Grant Thornton, Mott McDonald and Vail Williams as part of the Montagu Evans led team.
The Southampton Renaissance Board includes Southampton City Council, Associated British Ports, University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton Football Club, Go South Coast, Go! Southampton, Network Rail, Business South, Red Funnel, Southampton Chamber of Commerce and Southampton Forward.
