Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus, Fareham and Gosport
Opportunity:
The Solent Enterprise Zone (SEZ) at Daedalus is one of 46 set up nationally to support local economic growth. Its focus is on advanced engineering and manufacturing and in particular the marine, aerospace and aviation sectors. This builds on the existing strengths of the local economy and its skills base plus the SEZ’s operational airfield and marine slipway offers.
Established in 2012 the SEZ is being developed in partnership by Fareham Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, Homes England and the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (SLEP). The SEZ is within the planning authority areas of Fareham and Gosport and the councils have agreed a whole-site plan to ensure the comprehensive development of the site.
As an Enterprise Zone significant public sector capital investment is being made in on and off site infrastructure to help attract additional private sector investment and occupiers. The aim is to create up to 3,700 additional jobs by 2026.
The Daedalus Waterfront site overlooks the Solent and the Isle of Wight and sits wholly within the Gosport planning authority area. Part of the site is already being redeveloped by Tidebank, with the first phase of its Daedalus Park scheme fully occupied and its final phase completed in May 2019.
Proposals for the Daedalus Waterfront site should be for an employment-led regeneration scheme with a mix of uses as follows:
- 75,000 sqm (gross) employment floorspace (B1, B2 and B8)
- a range of leisure and recreational facilities to enhance the visitor attractions at Lee-on-the-Solent
- food and drink premises
- community facilities to meet local requirements and make the best use of available buildings
- up to 350 dwellings (101 built by Barratt Homes and 200+ under construction by Wates Residential)
Location:
The SEZ is based on a former naval airfield to the west of Portsmouth Harbour at Lee-on-the-Solent. Fareham and Gosport town centres are within 10 minutes drive and Portsmouth is within 30 minutes of the site. The nearest junctions of the M27 are 9 and 11. The off site capital investment has included upgrades to the local road network that links the site to the M27 and a new motorway link will be created by the proposed Stubbington By-pass.
With an operational airfield its Solent Airport provides additional business and leisure travel connectivity to/from mainland Europe, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Southampton International Airport is 11 miles away and provides further air links and at the southern end of the SEZ a marine slipway provides direct access to the Solent.
The Enterprise Zone currently has two new business parks:
- Daedalus Park which is a development of 65 units, totalling 135,000 ft2 of new freehold light industrial space.
- Faraday Business Park which offers new commercial property or serviced land for sale or lease including a dedicated area for aviation-related and aerospace businesses seeking access to the airfield with its newly resurfaced runway.
