Solent Growth Deal

The Solent LEP has provided £1.8m (including £1,072,066 through the Solent Growth Deal and £727,934 through the Employer Ownership of Skills Programme) to support the Portsmouth Naval Base Marine Engineering Centre: a £9.7m transformational programme to deliver new and upgraded workshop facilities from the redevelopment of existing facilities at Portsmouth Naval Base. Construction is underway on the workshops and the scheme also supports the Skills Development Centre, which was refurbished in 2016 and within which Level 1 and 2 apprentices are trained for both Naval Base and local SME requirements. The Marine Engineering Centre will deliver enhanced training facilities for Level 3 and 4 apprentices and enable up-skilling and re-training at level 3 of the existing workforce, to improve operational efficiency and capability in response to heightened demand for services to support the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here. 

As part of the Solent Growth Deal 3 announcement, the Government has confirmed £7.676m additional funding (outside of the Solent Growth Deal) to the LEP to bring forward the next phase of development at Centenary Quay in Southampton. This investment, which is separate from the Growth Deal, will unlock over £64 million additional private sector investment and enable delivery of more than 340 new homes.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

The Solent LEP has provided £4.5m in support of a £25m world-leading Centre for Cancer Immunology adjacent to the University Hospital Southampton (UHS) NHS Foundation Trust. The development of the UK’s first dedicated Centre for Cancer Immunology will support innovation in the field of immunology research, and place the Solent firmly on the map as a global Centre of Excellence for the development and delivery of new therapies that will cure cancer and create a significant number of new jobs in the Southampton region. With LEP funding, the new Centre will place the Solent area in the driving seat as the location for next generation of cancer therapies and accelerate the growth of the Life Sciences Sector in the Solent and see new business growth clustering around the facility to leverage off its global expertise.

Further detail on the Centre for Cancer Immunology is available here.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

Despite huge potential and much interest from the private sector, Dunsbury Park (formerly Dunsbury Hill Farm) had remained out of economic use for more than a decade. Without the necessary investment in providing access, development of the site was not viable.

The Solent LEP has invested £4,540,000 Local Growth Deal Funds in bringing forward a link road to the site which has proved the critical piece of infrastructure to catalyse wider investment and development totalling 67,534m2 of employment-land and the creation of some 3,400 new jobs.

Since the investment, Fat Face has been announced as the first Dunsbury Park tenant, with the outdoor lifestyle clothing brand expanding into a new UK distribution centre at the site.

Dunsbury Park was formally launched in March 2017 and further information on the site and current investment opportunities is available here.

The Solent LEP have invested £9m into a £12.4m major three stage redevelopment project at Eastleigh College, including modernisation of existing facilities, development of new teaching facilities and creation of the new Advanced Technology Centre. From September, the new centre will provide a fantastic range of facilities for students of all ages studying computer science, engineering and construction. It also boasts state-of-the-art features such as an IT networking laboratory, CAD suites with specialist 3D printing software, industrial robotics and an anti-static electronics lab. The investment will create over 1,200 new apprenticeship opportunities at Eastleigh College.

Further information is available here.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

The need to improve access to the Fareham and Gosport peninsula is identified as a key priority for the Solent LEP as outlined in our Strategic Economic Plan.

The Fareham and Gosport multi-year programme will help remove barriers to economic growth and respond to the specific connectivity challenges common to most coastal communities The projects funded under this significant programme provide a package of highway infrastructure improvements to remove transport barriers and improve strategic connections to Fareham and Gosport and aims to encourage new investment (for example at the Solent Enterprise Zone) to provide new opportunities for local residents. The programme will also support the delivery of Solent LEP's strategic growth sites including the Enterprise Zone at Daedalus and the Welborne Development.

This investment will create 3000 new jobs in the period to 2021, unlock significant housing and enable 248,000 sq. m of floor space for businesses

To find out more about the Fareham and Gosport Multi Year Programme please click here.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

The Solent LEP is investing £2m to bring forward a £7.2m investment at the Fareham Innovation Centre on the Solent Enterprise Zone. The second phase of development, supported by the Solent LEP, will build on the remarkable success of the innovation centre to date, which was fully occupied within a year of completion. The investment will expand the existing accommodation for innovative SMEs on the Fareham/Gosport peninsula and provide move on space to enable businesses grown in the innovation centre to remain in the area, resulting in more jobs and opportunities for local people and the further creation of a significant cluster of businesses in the LEP’s strategic sectors. The investment will provide 33 offices and 5 workshops in a new 3,400m² building tailored to the needs of businesses in the strategic engineering, marine and aerospace sectors and will be, aimed particularly at businesses engaged in developing new and innovative technologies. Construction on the phase 2 development is currently underway.

Further information is available here.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

Construction is underway on the University of Portsmouth Future Technology Centre (FTC), which will be welcoming its first students in autumn 2017. The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership has provided £1.05m towards the impressive £11m facility which will train the innovative engineers of the future through hands-on experience of specialist technology to develop creative answers to global challenges. The FTC will be the hub for delivering the University’s unique higher level qualifications in innovation engineering, ensuring students gain hands-on experience with specialist technology in an industrial-standard training environment. LEP investment in the centre will open up the world-class facilities to assist companies take advantage of new production technologies, translating innovation into business growth.

Further information is available here.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

Solent LEP has provided £5m of funding toward establishing an Innovation and Collaboration Hub (ICH) as part of the £23m National Maritime Systems Centre (NMSC) redevelopment at Portsdown Technology Park by QinetiQ. The ICH will increase capacity for growth, lower barriers to entry to the market for Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) and foster greater collaboration and innovation across the UK maritime mission systems enterprise.

The NMSC + ICH scheme will together deliver a collaboratively funded Solent region enterprise resource that includes facilities and suitably qualified and experienced personnel able to support and exploit synergies across parallel activities including:

• MOD research, acquisition and support programmes in the Maritime Mission Systems domain including unmanned/autonomous systems, joint force and international coalition capabilities;
• Maritime Mission Systems and Intelligent Systems export opportunities through the Defence Growth Partnership (DGP) Centre for Maritime Intelligent Systems (CMIS);
• Systems integration, test and evaluation activities for other government departments and blue light organisations, for example the Maritime & Coastguard Agency or the Civil Aviation Authority;
• Maritime defence and security research, innovation and collaboration.

The QinetiQ website has further information on the project here.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

The LEP funded £10.9m industry-led skills centre will develop specialised skills for 600 students annually on the Isle of Wight. The Centre of Execellent for Composites , Advanced Manufacturing and Marine (CECAMM) will further cultivate the Island's world-leading composite, advanced manufacturing and marine sectors, and support the economy of the Island.

Designed with guidance from Island employers to give students the skills needed for work, empowering the next workforce generation, CECAMM Centre offers students a choice of career first and course second. The focus is on providing all of the knowledge and skills that any student will need to enter their chosen field and prepare them for work and/or higher study.

CECAMM was officially opened by HRH Countess of Wessex on 13th September 2017.

To find out more about CECAMM click here.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

The Solent LEP has utilised funding available through the Solent Growth Deal to support a range of other funding opportunities in the Solent area. This includes a Development Cost Fund - to support the development of business cases for future projects, Innovation Fund - investing in projects that will keep the Solent at the forefront of new and emerging technologies, a Solent Skills and Productivity Investment Fund - focussed on key infrastructure projects and employer-led proposals that address skills challenges, and the Solent Growth Fund - our largest ever funding opportunity to support Solent small and medium sized businesses and new start-ups.

Further information on all Solent LEP funds is available here.

The Solent LEP has provided £3,776,782 through the Local Growth Deal to the Isle of Wight Council for the replacement and modernisation of the ‘Floating Bridge’ chain ferry linking East and West Cowes. The Floating Bridge is a critical piece of transport infrastructure, providing a key vehicle access points for East Cowes connecting businesses and communities, and replaces the old bridge which was due to come to the end of its economic life by 2017. The Floating Bridge forms part of a wider programme of investment.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

The Solent LEP is investing £1.35m with the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) and Solent Recreation Mitigation Partnership (SRMP) in a multi-year programme delivering strategic green infrastructure across the Solent area. This investment will enable greatly accelerated delivery of planned new homes across the Solent to meet housing needs and support the economy. Without investment in strategic green infrastructure, housing delivery would be severely delayed whilst individual mitigation measures were implemented to meet relevant legislation.

Two sites have already benefited from investment though the programme, including;

• Alver Valley in Gosport - an existingCountry Park upgraded  by Gosport Borough Council, further information is available here, and; 

• Manor Farm, Hamble - a major expansion of the existing Country Park by Hampshire County Council, further information is available here 

Further sites set for investment through the SRMP programme, include;

• Horsea Island, Portsmouth - creation of a new Country Park by Portsmouth City Council, further information is available here and;
• Shoreburs Greenway - creation of all-year / all-weather facilities.
• Hayling Island Brent Goose Refuge Site - a first of its kind project, comprising a permanent fenced refuge containing a mix of improved grassland and winter wheat between September and April together with the relocation of the Hayling Billy Trail to ensure its long-term survival.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here or through the Bird Aware Solent website at http://www.birdaware.org/home 

As the Maritime World moves towards autonomy, the Solent will see the wide-scale adoption of autonomous operation. From Academia, to specialist SMEs, to Port Authorities, companies across the Solent will need to test, teach and develop specialist autonomous systems. To meet this growing opportunity and to develop the Solent as an international centre for Autonomy the Solent LEP has invested £456,633 to bring forward the Solent Test Facility (formerly BAE Systems Marine and Maritime Autonomy Test Bed) in the Solent. The investment in partnership with industry will bring forward world-leading test-facilities including Air and Surface test vehicle, a Secure Maritime Communications Network, Mobile Control Centre and a range of Solent based test sites.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

Investment in key transport interchanges is critical to improving connectivity in the Solent area and has been identified as a priority in the Solent Transport Investment Plan. As part of our commitment to this, the Solent LEP has invested £4,185,000 in the redevelopment of the public realm to the north of Southampton Station through the Local Growth Deal. The Station Quarter project has never been simply about transport movement: the aspiration has always been for the project to act as a catalyst to bring forward potential development sites adjacent to this key transport gateway. This transport-led approach to development will result unlock investment to bring forward new residential units, office space, commercial space and a new hotel development, and has already transformed this part of Southampton.

As part of the Solent Growth Deal 3 announcement, the Government have announced funding to support Stubbington Bypass: a transformational £34.2 million project, with an investment of £25.7 million from the Local Growth Fund, which will build on the Fareham and Gosport Multi-Year Programme and bring forward a package that is central to delivering the full benefits of our over-arching strategy to improve access to the Fareham and Gosport Peninsula, supporting delivery of key strategic growth sites including the Solent Enterprise Zone. The investment will provide a new 3.5km road with pedestrian and cycle provision, better linking residential areas with job opportunities.

The scheme has been designated as a retained scheme by the Department for Transport which means they retain oversight of it until such time as it receives ‘full approval’ through their processes. This is anticipated to occur in early 2019, once final tendered costs for the whole scheme are confirmed and the construction phase is due to commence.

The Solent LEP has provided advanced funding to the scheme promoter Hampshire County Council to facilitate the land assembly and preliminary works phase of the scheme.

For more information on Stubbington Bypass please click here.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

Investment in key transport interchanges is critical to improving connectivity in the Solent area and has been identified as a priority in the Solent Transport Investment Plan. The Hard Interchange scheme involves replacing the existing bus interchange at The Hard, and improving the public realm, wayfinding and cycle parking facilities in the area. The Hard functions as a key Portsmouth and Solent gateway and public transport interchange but is also an area of historic and visual interest enjoyed by many residents and visitors every year.

The £4,832,000 Local Growth Deal investment will provide a safe and efficient method of passenger interchange between several modes of transport, allowing for improved connectivity to key city destinations such as Gunwharf Quays and Portsmouth Dockyard. Alongside the significant connectivity improvements, the building of the new interchange will act as the catalyst for the delivery of a range of mixed use developments including office space; retail space; residential dwellings; and hotel and student accommodation rooms.

Further information on the Hard Interchange is available here.

Solent LEP has provided £7,464,000 towards a total of £12,709,300 of funding to Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering for phase 2: estates upgrade. This funding has enabled 3,341m2 of refurbished training facilities, including a new simulator suite and 6 new bridge simulators at East Park Terrace.

Further detail is available in the published business case for the scheme, available here.

The Web Science Institute is looking for Future Makers. People and projects that will change the world. Currently under development, Z21 is a new LEP-backed funding programme to support web-related research projects and early stage commercial initiatives that can be accelerated towards commercialisation and angel funding, from within the University of Southampton Web Science Institute.

Further information is available here.