WIREDGOV

A massive component of the Portsmouth and Southampton City Deal which will create 3,700 permanent jobs has moved a step closer recently.

Minister for Portsmouth Matthew Hancock has confirmed that contracts will be exchanged recently for the transfer of Horsea Island East and the Tipner Firing Range from the Ministry of Defence to Portsmouth City Council.

The land transfer was included in the Southampton and Portsmouth City Deal, which was signed last year. Tipner Firing Range and Horsea Island East are 2 of the 5 sites identified by the City Council for the Tipner-Horsea Regeneration. The scheme provides for 2,370 new homes and 58,000 square metres of employment space for the growing marine and advanced manufacturing sectors of the Solent economy, and will create 3,700 permanent jobs.

Minister for Portsmouth Matthew Hancock said:

A key part of my job is to get things moving at a senior level in government. The Tipner Ranges-Horsea East transfer we are announcing today is a key part of implementing the City Deal and I did not want any time to be lost.

The City Deal will play a vital role in bringing investment into the Portsmouth area and creating future jobs.

The Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Anna Soubry, said:

I am extremely glad that the Ministry of Defence has been able to transfer this land over to Portsmouth City Council. It will provide them with the chance to redevelop the land into much-needed housing and infrastructure for the local community. This announcement means only good news for Portsmouth and I’m certain the investment will bring jobs and opportunity to the city.

The Leader of Portsmouth Council, Donna Jones, said:

The City Deal gives us the means to achieve our ambition of opening up these sites at the gateway to the city.

With the right transport infrastructure in place we can attract developers to the sites and create much-needed homes and jobs.

Along with the new M275 junction for the park-and-ride, this is a great step forward in this project.

The government has agreed to transfer both Ministry of Defence sites for a nominal fee based on an overage deal, and contracts have been exchanged with Portsmouth City Council recently.

The sale will be completed following Portsmouth City Council carrying out satisfactory environmental surveys of the sites.

As part of this land assembly and transfer process the Ministry of Defence will relocate the existing firing range on Tipner to an alternative site – potentially to Longmoor Military Camp.

The City Deal provides more than £950 million of public and private sector investment in Portsmouth and Southampton and will create more than 17,000 jobs.