Development of Hampshire Dunsbury business estate soars ahead

The 50-acre Dunsbury Hill Business Gateway site, next to junction 3 of the A3(M), is being redeveloped so it’s ripe and ready for commercial activity.

The construction of a £9.69m access road to the hub, £5.3m of which was paid for by landowner Portsmouth City Council, was completed in the summer.

And Tory council boss Donna Jones has now revealed clothing brand Fat Face has now moved into a new distribution centre there after the deal was unveiled last year.

Lambert Smith Hampton has also been appointed as a ‘marketing agent’ to advertise the business park to potential employers.

The news comes as a much-needed boost to Havant borough, after drugs giant Pfizer announced it was moving out, putting up to 300 jobs at risk.

Addressing the full council, Cllr Jones said: ‘Fat Face took operation of its site on October 29, and is doing all of its own re-fit work for a January launch.

‘The company will then start paying us rent. Lambert Smith Hampton is our marketing agent.

‘Now the road is done, it can go out and promote the site. There was a soft launch of that on November 1.’

Cllr Jones revealed another event will be held at a later date at the Spinnaker Tower with prospective tenants.

It’s hoped the bulk of the site will become a hub for companies specialising in electronic engineering.

It could create up to 3,500 jobs, with many of those going to Portsmouth and Havant workers.

Cllr Donna Jones added: ‘Our plans to develop this council-owned land represent a rare opportunity to boost the local economy.’