The government’s enterprise zone funding is going to good use in Hampshire where a £7m infrastructure grant has underpinned the redevelopment of a former Royal Navy air station. The money — awarded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) — will allow the upgrade of an access road and fund site preparation work at the Gosport Enterprise Zone. The seafront site once housed HMS Daedalus, one of the world’s oldest naval air bases.
The Enterprise Zone is a joint venture between the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, the local authorities within the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire, and the Homes and Communities Agency, which owns the majority of the land within the zone. Already renamed Gosport Waterfront the site will ultimately include a mix of commercial properties, an education campus and new homes.
It is estimated that around 3,500 construction and permanent jobs will be created within the enterprise zone, turning the area into a destination of choice for advanced manufacturing and technology businesses, especially within the marine, aerospace and aviation sectors.
As chairman of the Solent Enterprise Partnership, Gary Jeffries, welcomed the injection of Whitehall cash. “We can now start seeking investment in a comprehensive redevelopment that presents an exciting opportunity for private sector investment in new businesses, leisure and residential property,” he said.
“Significant construction work is already underway on the site and this grant will enable us to start work on several new areas as well as demolishing the decaying air base buildings,” he added.
Kevin Bourner is head of area at the Homes and Communities Agency. “This latest investment forms an essential part of unlocking Gosport Waterfront to redevelopment, which will benefit the entire enterprise zone and wider economy,” he explained. “It also builds on the significant strides the partners have made to bring new investment and jobs to the Solent Enterprise Zone. Work to deliver the new Fareham College facility is underway, plans for an innovation centre are progressing and businesses are showing strong interest in moving onto the site.”
The latest grant brings the total investment already committed to the Solent Enterprise Zone to over £40m, much of it attracted through the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership.
Preparation and infrastructure work is expected to start this spring with the first phase of the development at Daedalus East delivering around 20,000sq metres of commercial property.
Design work on Fareham College’s 4,000sq metre CEMAST — Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Advanced Skills Training — facility has also been commissioned. And there are also plans for a 2,000sq metre Innovation Centre aimed at providing opportunities for new business start-ups and expansion.
The Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, has long been an advocate of enterprise zones which, he claims “are at the centre of our long-term economic plans to build a stronger, more competitive business environment and a better future for Britain … This funding will give these areas the infrastructure they need to attract more investment, support the growth of local businesses and create up to 3000 jobs for hardworking people across the country.”
