The Solent Enterprise Zone

The Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus

Size

• 200 ha (494.2 acres) overall site including the airfield (Solent Airport).
• 82 ha (202.6 acres) Enterprise Zone area.
• 23 ha (56.8 acres) The Daedalus Waterfront site, including:
  • Daedalus Park 14,954 sqm 65 unit B1/B2/B8 scheme.
    • phase 1 is complete and fully occupied.
    • phase 2 (Site B North and South) completed May 2019.
  • Daedalus Village residential scheme
    • 200 units (80 affordable) of 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
    • Wates are Homes England’s Accelerated Construction Delivery Company partner.
    • planning application (17/00592/DETS) approved May 2018 with development completed during 2021.
  • Daedalus Waterfront 42 acre mixed use development scheme
    • Daedalus Development Company – a joint venture between MurrayTwohig Development, Orwell Real Estate and Patron Capital – has been confirmed as development partner by Homes England. Their proposed development includes:
      • 450,000 sqft of new, modern employment work and light industrial space.
      • 350 private and affordable homes.
      • an upgraded home for The Hovercraft Museum.
      • new services and facilities, including a public park.

Description

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 has been 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 has already been redeveloped by Rolling Wave Commercial (previously Tidebank), with the two phases of its 14,954 sqm 65 unit B1/B2/B8 Daedalus Park scheme completed in May 2019; and Wates has completed its Daedalus Village 200 unit housing scheme.

In April 2022 Homes England confirmed its development partner for the final 42 acres of Daedalus still in its ownership as a joint venture between MurrayTwohig Development, Orwell Real Estate and Patron Capital, led by Daedalus Development Company. Its proposed Daedalus Waterfront regeneration scheme includes 450,000 sqft of employment space, 350 private and affordable homes, plus amenities and attractions.

Location/Access

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.

Options

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+ by Wates Residential)

Planning Status

The SEZ falls within the local authority areas of Fareham and Gosport and two outline planning applications for the proposed redevelopment of most of the site were approved by the councils in March 2012.  The proposals in total give outline consent for over 1 million sqft (92,903 sqm) of commercial development as well as homes and community facilities.

A Daedalus Supplementary Planning Document was adopted in September 2011 that set out Gosport Borough Council’s vision, development strategy and an outline of key development considerations for the Daedalus Waterfront site.

An outline planning application (Ref. No: 11/00282/OUT) was approved in March 2012 for the provision of almost 70,000 sqm (753,474 sqft) of employment floorspace, hotel, leisure and other commercial uses and 200 dwellings.  A detailed planning application (Ref. No: 17/00592/DETS) was submitted by Wates in December 2017 for the 200 residential units element and approved in May 2018.

It is identified in the adopted Gosport Borough Local Plan 2011-2029 as the Daedalus Regeneration Area (Policy LP5) and development proposals should be for an employment-led regeneration scheme with a mix of uses (employment floorspace, leisure and recreational facilities, food and drink premises, community facilities and residential.

The Daedalus Park industrial scheme (B1, B2, B8) was developed out in phases by Tidebank as per the following planning consents (see the Gosport Borough Council website to view details):

• Daedalus Park Site B (South) totalling 2,751 sqm (Ref. No: 16/00001/FULL approved March 2016)
  • subsequent application Ref. No: 17/00100/Full submitted March 2017
• Daedalus Park Site B (North) totalling 3,256 sqm (Ref. No: 16/00002/FULL approved March 2016)
  • subsequent application Ref. No: 17/00101/Full submitted March 2017
• Daedalus Park totalling 8,947 sqm (Ref. No: 15/00247/FULL approved October 2015)

The Dunning Building totalling 4,660 sqm is being refurbished for continued manufacturing use for MonsterCAM/Marine Concepts (Ref. No: 15/00672/FULL approved February 2016).

Developer/Owner

Daedalus Waterfront: Homes England

Contact

Jeremy Herring
Homes England
01483 514953