district profile Location Environment East Hampshire lies at the heart of East Hampshire is unrivalled for its South East England. Conveniently high quality of life and renowned for located between the London and its beautiful countryside and heath Area profile the South Coast, the district offers lands. The district successfully Where: South East England an excellent location with easy combines a rich natural heritage access to national and international with prosperous market towns and Location: Mid Hampshire markets. The district’s internationally villages and thus offering a unique recognised natural and historic blend to residents, businesses and heritage is home to a vibrant visitors alike. Key features: modern economy with a strong quality of life tradition of innovation and an active Business environment Whitehill/Bordon Opportunity entrepreneurial business community. East Hampshire is an excellent A3 tunnel at Hindhead location for business development Horndean Village Centre Renewal The district and people and presents a good choice for the choice of commercial East Hampshire is largely rural with 3 future of business. The district thrives development sites towns (Alton, Petersfield and Whitehill on its reputation as a quality location & Bordon and 39 Parishes. The area in which to do business, work and has a total land mass of 514 sq km live. The high quality environment Key sectors: and a population of 111,700 (Nomis, and the range of local services are 2008) with over 5,500 businesses particularly important reasons why diversified rural economy employing more than for 45,000 companies have located, expanded advanced manufacturing people. (Source: National Statistics and remained in East Hampshire. tourism Online – www.statistics.gov.uk). quality town centres The population of East Hampshire is expected to 125,907 by 2026 business services (Long-term projections of creative industry Hampshire’s demographic future, Hampshire County Council, 2008). M4 Reading M25 Basingstoke A331 Guildford M3 A325 A3 Winchester A31 East Hampshire A272 A272 Southampton M27 A27 Worthing Portsmouth Chichester For more information tel: 01730 234165 web: www.easthants.gov.uk/beh Economic Development, EHDC, Penns Place, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU31 4EX local economy East Hampshire possesses a vibrant Total number of businesses (2008) modern economy with a strong tradition of innovation and an active entrepreneurial business community. The district has a reasonably strong Winchester Basingstoke & Deane economy marked by sustained 6,200 6,900 growth and low unemployment. Test Valley The economic buoyancy of the 5,415 East Hampshire area is reflected in the density and 6,380 variety of business activity ranging Rushmoor from the agricultural base through 3,250 to information technology and Eastleigh business services. Economic activity is particularly strong in advanced 5,370 manufacturing, business services, New Forest tourism and leisure industries. The 7,965 Fareham economic activity is concentrated in 4,480 the towns of Alton, Petersfield and Havant Whitehill and the larger villages of 4,100 Hart Horndean, Liphook, Liss and Four 4,785 Marks. In the countryside, agriculture remains an important sector of the Gosport local economy. More recently, the 2,035 district has seen particularly strong Source data: Business Demography Report - UK Business: Activity, Size & growth in the small and medium sized Location 2009 published by Office for National Statistics. business sector with considerable growth in self-employment and new Employment distribution by economic sector business start-ups. Selected Sectors 2001* 2021** Business support Engineering & Manufacturing 11.64% 7.79% The area offers a range of business Construction 6.68% 5.38% services and entrepreneurial networks. These are particularly Distribution, Hotels and Restaurants 21.98% 25.60% important reasons why many small Transport and Communications 3.45% 3.71% and medium sized businesses have located, expanded and remain in Banking, Finance and Insurance, etc 21.34% 25.79% East Hampshire. Public Administration, Education & Health 21.34% 22.45% Other Services 6.68% 7.05% *Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) **Source: Whitehill/Bordon Opportunity baseline (forecast) For more information tel: 01730 234165 web: www.easthants.gov.uk/beh Economic Development, EHDC, Penns Place, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU31 4EX inward investment Conveniently located between The area comprises over 6,000 London and the South Coast, businesses, employment for over East Hampshire offers an excellent 30,000 people and a population location with easy access to national of 111,000. and international markets. East The district successfully combines a Hampshire is an excellent location for rich natural heritage with prosperous business development and presents a market towns and villages and thus good choice for future business. offering a unique blend to residents, The District possesses a vibrant businesses and visitors alike. The modern economy with a strong district thrives on its reputation as tradition of innovation and an active a quality location in which to do entrepreneurial business community. business, work and live. The high The economic buoyancy of the area quality environment and the range is reflected in the density and variety of local services are particularly of business activity ranging from the important reasons why companies agricultural base through have located, expanded and to information technology and remained in East Hampshire. business services. Proposals to create an greener town Key sectors are: agriculture, in Whitehill & Bordon, the opening of tourism, advanced manufacturing, the A3 Hindhead Tunnel by mid 2011, finance, business services, education the creation of the South Downs and health. National Park and the potential for regeneration in towns and villages, all East Hampshire is largely rural present opportunities for investment. with economic activity mainly concentrated in the towns of Alton, Want to find out more about Petersfield and Whitehill and the doing business or investing in larger villages of Horndean, Liphook, East Hampshire? Liss and Four Marks. Then please contact our dedicated business development team on 01730 234165 or email: [email protected] web: www.easthants.gov.uk/business For more information tel: 01730 234165 web: www.easthants.gov.uk/beh Economic Development, EHDC, Penns Place, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU31 4EX living and working Quality of life Education Broadband East Hampshire is unrivalled for its East Hampshire has an excellent Broadband is key for economic high quality of life and renowned range of schools and educational competitiveness. East Hampshire for its beautiful countryside and facilities including independent has complete access to broadband heathlands. It successfully and grant maintained schools technology, making a major combines a rich natural heritage and colleges. contribution to the economic with prosperous market towns success of the district with benefits In addition there are three and villages. It offers a unique for local businesses. universities, in Guildford, Portsmouth blend to residents, businesses and and Southampton, within close This infrastructure is supported by visitors alike. proximity to East Hampshire. the e-Hampshire initiative. East Hampshire has a good Tourism reputation of obtaining GCSE results above the national average. The visitor industry produces £130million turnover, and attracts 51 state schools (43 primary, 6 3.5 million visitors every year. Recent secondary and 2 special needs) research has shown that there is are located within East Hampshire capacity to develop hotel and visitor looking after the educational and locations across the towns, villages training needs of over 15,000 pupils. and countryside of the district. Visitor attractions include: Jane Austen’s House at Chawton Gilbert White’s House in Selborne Travel times from East Hampshire (average) The Allen Gallery in Alton The Curtis Museum in Alton Distance to By road By rail The Bedales Gallery in Steep Birmingham 3 hours 4 hours via London The Flora Twort Gallery in Manchester 4 hours 4.5 hours via London Petersfield Specialist attractions include Southampton 40 minutes 80 minutes Grayshott Pottery and the Watercress Line steam railway. Portsmouth 30 minutes 25 minutes London 90 minutes 55 minutes to Waterloo Station Paris 5 hours via Euro tunnel 4 hours via Waterloo/Euro tunnel East Hampshire enjoys excellent links to the national motorways, rail networks and the international gateways of Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Southampton International Airport, one of the fastest growing regional air facilities in the country, operates daily flights to European and major UK business destinations. The Portsmouth ferry service provides continuous links with France and Spain. For more information tel: 01730 234165 web: www.easthants.gov.uk/beh Economic Development, EHDC, Penns Place, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU31 4EX.