Plans for employment hub at Fareham Reach Business Park are supported

Unit 700 will make way for the new 'hub'

Plans for a multi-use employment hub at Fareham Reach Business Park have been supported by officials who say it will provide a boost for the area.

Federated Hermes has submitted plans to demolish unit 700 at the business park on Fareham Road and replace it with ‘modern industrial units’. Gosport Borough Council documents state the plans would provide 1,857 square metres of ‘flexible research and development, light and general industrial, and storage and distribution uses, with ancillary offices, associated car parking, and landscape planting’.

‘The proposed employment floor space will be comprised of 3 units within 2 buildings’, the application said.

‘The larger building, which will be subdivided into 2 units will be constructed in the demolished buildings place at the eastern end of the site.

‘The second building will be located at the western end of the site adjacent to the Gosport Road close to the main entrance, an area currently used for excess car parking.

‘The development would include the provision of 43 car parking spaces (of which 3 would be disabled spaces and 3 would have electric vehicle charging points) and 14 cycle parking spaces leading to a loss of 118 vehicle parking spaces relative to the existing situation.’

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Planning officers noted that job creation is a ‘high priority’ for the council as Gosport has the lowest job density in the south-east and the eighth lowest in England.

‘It is therefore strongly welcomed that this proposal would increase employment floorspace within the borough.’

Planning statements submitted on behalf of the applicant state the proposal ‘is of the highest standard and will introduce a modern industrial unit that will attract investment to the area and local economy’.

It adds: ‘The proposed development will provide modern flexible employment floor spaces which can accommodate a range of employment uses, thus providing employment space which will cater for modern business needs.

‘The site is situated within a key employment area with a variety of employment classes including E(b) sale of food and drink, E(g) office spaces, B2 general industrial and B8 storage or distribution.

‘The scheme includes redevelopment and intensification of employment land to maintain and maximise the area’s commercial vitality.’

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A decision over whether or not to support the plans is due to be made by the council’s regulatory committee next week.