1.

Summary

The following decision is sought:

Approval for budget provision of £5,000 to support a Developers' Day event at Havant.

2.

Reason

The County Council is focusing effort on the Havant area as one of the

"under-performing" parts of the Hampshire economy.

3.

Other Options considered and rejected

Not applicable.

4.

Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted

None.

5.

Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

Not applicable.

6.

Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

Not applicable.

Approved by:- Date:-

Councillor M J Woodhall

Measured across a range of indicators, Havant does not compare well with its neighbouring areas or against the Hampshire average.

Havant and Gosport are identified as the least affluent, most deprived parts of Hampshire. Unemployment in Havant is particularly high, at 2.8% for the Borough as a whole the highest in Hampshire and more that twice the county average. The ward of Warren Park within Havant has the highest ward unemployment rate in the county, at 4.8%, and features amongst the top five worst deprived wards in the South East region (out of a total of 1,600 wards altogether).

These disparities reflect the national decline of the manufacturing sector where the Borough's relative preponderance of traditional engineering and manufacturing employment has made it more vulnerable than other areas.

Although new investment particularly in the Waterlooville area and elsewhere has helped the move toward meeting local job shortfalls, the amount of land available in the Borough for new development compares unfavourably with neighbouring areas relative to the economically active population.

New allocations in the Revised Deposit Local Plan and measures being taken through partnerships between SEEDA, the Borough and the County, should result in sufficient employment land coming forward over the plan period.

However the success of this strategy will depend to a great extent on the ability of the authorities to attract the necessary investment by developers and end-user companies. Public sector contributions will only go so far towards the aim of bringing forward brownfield land for employment creating development at Broadmarsh.

As part of an initiative to raise the profile of the Borough as a location for new investment and to highlight the opportunities particularly at Broadmarsh and (in the longer term) at Dunsbury Hill Farm, it is proposed to organise, in conjunction with the Borough, SEEDA, HEDF and HEP, a Developers' Day on the lines of the successful events arranged at Aldershot in 2000 and 2001.

This report recommends that financial provision of £5000 be made to contribute to the costs of this event to be held during the autumn of 2002.

Recommended:

That £5000 be allocated towards the cost of holding a "Developers' Day" to promote the investment potential of Havant and that budget provision in 2002/3 be made accordingly.