Arena Offices and Jackson Wright Property hosted an investment breakfast forum at Grosvenor House on Friday, May 16, to discuss the town’s promising future.
The event, on the 10th floor of the building, offered attendees panoramic views of Basingstoke while they networked.
Andy Jackson, managing director of Jackson Wright Property, said he was pleased to see so many people at the event, adding that it was a great opportunity to explore investment prospects and regeneration projects shaping the borough’s future.
Councillor Paul Harvey, leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, delivered a keynote address on local developments and the potential impact of devolution on local businesses.
He spoke about recent key investments in the town, particularly from manufacturer Blatchford, which has committed to building a new £15m operations centre in the town, and LevertonHELM EUROPE, which recently opened the largest lithium chloride processing plant costing £45m in Basingstoke. He also mentioned Basing View office redevelopment projects, such as PLANT and Arena Offices, which have invested millions to upgrade office space in the town’s key employment sector.
Cllr Harvey said there was also great optimism about the new owners buying the town’s main shopping centre, Festival Place, and their plans for investment, as well as Great Wolf Resorts’ plans to build a new 500-bed hotel and water park.
He said the key areas of challenge for the town were planning and development, making sure infrastructure keeps up with demand, especially delays in the new hospital’s construction, and restructuring local government.
Cllr Harvey said that he had plans to challenge a proposed Hampshire-wide devolution plan.
He said: “There is a very large agenda around devolution. We in the north are very serious about what we believe will be a successful North Hampshire unitary authority, combining Basingstoke and Deane and Hart and Rushmoor. Think about that, combining Aldershot, Farnborough, and Basingstoke as key economic centres in the north. Think about the powerhouse we can have here, looking to the Thames Valley and looking north.”
Arena Offices’ marketing director Helen Deverill presented on the firm’s operations and their decision to choose Basingstoke. They said that the firm’s second site, Grosvenor House, was going well, and that there are plans to open a third site in Basingstoke.
The “Basingstoke Story,” an overview of major investment projects and future opportunities in the town, was presented by Marelize Du Beurs, economy and place marketing manager for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, and Sarah Good, head of major projects at the council.
The forum also included a segment titled “A Year in Basingstoke,” where Labour MP Luke Murphy shared his experiences, key learnings, and strategies for driving future growth and investment.
He could not attend the meeting in person as he was in parliament voting on amendments to the Assisted Dying Bill, so he joined via video link.
He said that he has found key challenges for businesses in Basingstoke in high energy bills, unfair business rates, skills shortages, and changes to National Insurance.
He said: “I hear a lot of high energy bills. We have some of the highest electricity prices in the Western world, for both domestic uses and businesses and industry. That’s something we have to tackle.”
He also said that many constituents had raised issues with him, such as a lack of access to GPs, antisocial behaviour and a lack of police presence, as well as empty shops in the high street.
The meeting concluded with a question and answer session and panel discussion moderated by Mr Jackson.
Attendees also had the opportunity to tour Grosvenor House.