Whitehill & Bordon The future in your words What the town’s transformation means to those who live and work here...
Entertainment
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Detailed events guide inside
The transformation has begun... Whitehill & Bordon’s transformation from garrison town to green town is well underway.
First homes at Quebec
With so much happening we understand that it can be hard to keep up with what’s going on where and when. So, to help you stay in the know we’ve produced this update. It’s jam-packed with exciting developments in the town’s regeneration - as well as fun community events coming up in the next few months. There’s so much already happening in the town we can’t fit it all on these pages but here’s a taster... If you’d like more regular updates please sign-up to our e-newsletter at www.whitehillbordon.com or follow us on Twitter (@WhitehillBordon) or like us on Facebook (facebook.com/Whitehill.Bordon).
The first homes are now being built at Quebec Park. Housing Minister Brandon Lewis visited to see this major milestone in the town’s transformation.
Partners critical to success Driving prosperity in the M3 corridor
The town’s transformation is being led by a strong collaborative partnership which has a shared vision for Whitehill & Bordon to become a prosperous, thriving town in a beautiful natural environment where people choose to live and work because it offers them great opportunities and a great quality of life.
Town centre shapes up
Learn new skills
Budds Lane
Food Store
Parade Street
Town Square
Cafe/ Restaurants
et
High Stre
Shops
Shops
rant
Church
Town Park ry
Leisure
reet
Nurse
h St
Health & ity Centre Commun
tau Hotel/ Res
Hig
Start Up Business Units
Shops
Shops
Cafe
Sandhurst Block
Cinema/ Theatre Cafe/ Restaurants
Centre
Primary School
Planning permission has been approved and developers (the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company) enlisted to transform Prince Philip Barracks and the Technical Training Area. The town centre will feature top new facilities - and in early summer exciting detailed plans for it will be revealed.
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Plans and funding were approved for the Future Skills Centre on Louisburg Barracks which will provide a variety of vocational training with a focus on construction skills. Hampshire County Council will be overseeing this project.
New jobs at new facility
The former Sergeants’ Mess on Louisburg Barracks will be transformed into a Business and Enterprise Centre which will enable new jobs to be created. There will be new office and training space for small businesses. This is being led by the Homes and Communities Agency.
See the new sculptures
Boost to 24 businesses
24 businesses have been helped with grants, one-toone business coaching and interior design advice. This work has been supported by Vision On, the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company, Orchard Grove Asset Management and East Hampshire District Council.
No business rates Louisburg Barracks has been awarded Enterprise Zone status. This means businesses that move to this area of the town before 2022 may not have to pay business rates for five years - making it an attractive location for businesses to set up shop. The Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership led the bid to secure this status.
Top government priority Work to improve Bordon Inclosure with new walkways, signs and sculptures have made the site more accessible and visitor-friendly.
Whitehill & Bordon became one of just 20 towns in the country to be awarded Housing Zone status in a central government flagship scheme which means it could receive up to ÂŁ20 million in loan funding.
Whitehill & Bordon learns from royal development
Cllr Ferris Cowper, Leader of East Hampshire District Council, met The Prince of Wales for a tour of Poundbury, in Dorset. Cllr Cowper hopes that successful elements of the Poundbury design can be incorporated into the regeneration of Whitehill & Bordon.
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What’s happening where and when?
Other green space
New town centre New secondary school New primary school Publicly accessible green space Green loop
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Other employment areas New homes Sports pitches New relief road Main site (Prince Philip Barracks)
This is an illustrative map of what Whitehill & Bordon could look like.
L
Louisburg Barracks
Q
Quebec Park
BI
Bordon Inclosure
hI
Hogmoor Inclosure
VP
Viking Park
Quebec Park 100 new homes
100 new jobs
New café
Business and Community Hub
• Construction of first homes has started • Site clearance has happened • Gas, water and electricity going in • Show home open by end of year • Chieftain and Centurion buildings are being transformed into a new Business and Community Hub
Louisburg Barracks 500 new jobs
500 new homes Future Skills Centre
Business and Enterprise Centre
• Construction of first homes starting this spring • First show home opening by the end of the year • Sergeants’ Mess being transformed into a Business and Enterprise Centre. This will create new jobs - as well as office and training space for small businesses • Construction starts on the Future Skills Centre this summer. This will offer a range of vocational training with a focus on construction skills
Main site 2,400 new homes New town centre
Up to 3,000 new jobs
Facilities
Shops
New schools
Green spaces
Transport improvements
• Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company (WBRC) is developing the site, which includes Prince Philip Barracks and the Technical Training Area • Homes could start to be built by the end of the year • WBRC has based its offices on site at Martinique House • The Coffee Pot (a coffee shop) has opened at Martinique House • The garrison pool has reopened to the public • Some of the unused buildings are being prepared so businesses can use them before the site is transformed • Detailed planning application for the new town centre to be decided in spring/summer. This will include details of how the new leisure centre, health campus and arts and heritage facility could look
Relief road New 5km road
Eases congestion on A325
Provides access to sites
Cycle and walking paths
• First phase of the relief road construction is well underway (running east-west through Louisburg Barracks) and is due to be completed by September this year • Second phase (running north-south next to Hogmoor Inclosure) will start shortly after • Traffic calming on the A325 to be agreed and construction will start in 2017
Other sites 350 homes
Up to 1,900 new jobs
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Whitehill & Bordon: getting greener all the time
2016 is set to see Whitehill & Bordon living up to its name as Hampshire’s green town in a very big way. Bordon Inclosure has already seen new entrances and walkways created - making the site more accessible. Environmental improvements have also been made, with the removal of non-native species and the planting of native ones, creating a beautiful natural habitat for plants, animals and insects. Management of Bordon Inclosure has also recently been handed over to Whitehill Town Council, from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. Funding is in place to look after the site for at least 80 years.
Drivers buzzing Residents with electric vehicles are buzzing with excitement after news that EHDC is planning to install an electric car charging point at the Forest Shopping Centre in April this year.
Whitehill & Bordon becomes green gateway
Access to the Deadwater Valley Local Nature Reserve has been improved from Mill Chase Road. This work was completed just before Christmas and the reserve is now open to the public. Residents will also find it easier to walk and cycle around the town - with work to improve signs and paths set to be completed in April.
72 homes go green East Hampshire District Council’s energy-efficiency programme, Cosy East Hants, helped 72 homes turn green in Whitehill & Bordon by offering cashback incentives for residents installing energy-saving measures. The district-wide scheme was so successful that we are working hard to secure more funding and we hope this will be available for Whitehill & Bordon residents in April.
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In May, Whitehill & Bordon will be better connected to Greatham with a new section of the Shipwrights Way. The route will be open to walkers and cyclists. This section of the route was funded by the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership.
Garrison Pool open again
Health campus for town
The Garrison Pool is to be kept open for public use after residents called for the pool, on Budds Lane, to be saved at Whitehill Town Council’s annual meeting in 2015.
Plans for a state-of-the-art health campus in Whitehill & Bordon’s new town centre are shaping up with a potential developer on board – after East Hampshire District Council pledged to take a proactive role in making it happen.
Since then, East Hampshire District Council, the town council and the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company have worked together to find a way of keeping the facility open. Approximately £117,000 has been raised to keep the pool open for a year. Whitehill Town Council has agreed to put £12,000 towards the project. EHDC will contribute £21,000 and the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company will put in £75,000. The remainder will come from income generated by the pool. The money will be enough to re-open and maintain the pool for 12 months. The funding will also enable the former military sports pitches next door to be kept open for public use. Councillor Julie Butler, East Hampshire District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Customer Relations, said: “It’s great that we’ve managed to keep this facility open for another year. “As part of our ambition to encourage healthy lifestyles in Whitehill & Bordon it’s really important that residents have access to existing leisure facilities like this one whilst the new exciting facilities are built.”
Cllr Ferris Cowper, the Leader of the council, said he was determined to provide healthcare facilities as early as possible – and now there are proposals for a new ‘health campus’ at the heart of the new town centre. Cllr Cowper has secured the interest of a developer who is keen to work with the council and other partners to deliver the facilities by 2019. EHDC has taken such an active role in providing top health facilities for the town because councillors feel that it is a vital part of the town’s regeneration. Some of the facilities on the new health campus could include: • an extended primary care centre with GPs, specialist nurses, therapists, hospital consultants and pharmacists • facilities and expertise to deal with minor injuries • a dentist • a leisure centre • care-ready homes to help people lead independent lives • a healthy living centre • an education hub to train care professionals Chase Hospital will remain an important facility for local people while the new campus is developed. The new campus would encompass all the facilities currently provided by the Chase – as well as the significant stateof-the-art new facilities.
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Businesses boosted by council backing
In our last brochure we told you about a grant scheme to help boost Whitehill & Bordon’s businesses. The scheme was so popular that it was extended to enable 10 more businesses to take up the offer from East Hampshire District Council (EHDC). The retail support programme offered independent retailers in the town grants of up to £1,000 to make improvements to their business, as well as providing workshops and coaching sessions. The latest businesses to receive help have now been awarded certificates to recognise their hard work. The certificates were awarded by the Mayor of Whitehill Town Council and EHDC Councillor, Cllr Sally Pond, and Leader of Whitehill Town Council and EHDC councillor, Cllr Adam Carew. Businesses receiving help in the latest round of the scheme were Bushnell Porter Estate Agents, Chapplins Estate Agents, Camber Garage Doors, Fried Chicken Ranch, Crowders Aquatics, Bordon Care, Forest Cards, Chandlers Opticians, Forest Cobbler and The Forest Café. The scheme has been run in partnership with retail experts Vision On, the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company and Orchard Grove Asset Management who are all working alongside EHDC to support Whitehill & Bordon businesses as part of the regeneration of the town. It’s expected that 700 of the 5,500 new jobs delivered as part of the town’s regeneration will be created by helping existing businesses to expand - and this support programme aims to give businesses in the town a boost.
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To date, 24 businesses have been helped with grants, one-to-one business coaching, and interior design advice. If you run or work for a small business in Whitehill & Bordon you can let EHDC know how it can help you by emailing whitehillbordon@easthants.gov.uk.
No business rates will create jobs Whitehill & Bordon has been awarded Enterprise Zone status. This was secured by the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) – paving the way for significant private investment and new jobs. The new Enterprise Zone covers Basing View, in Basingstoke, Longcross Park, in Chertsey, and Louisburg Barracks in Whitehill & Bordon.
Business rates generated will also be retained in the area by the LEP and this will provide an investment fund over the next 25 years that will support future economic growth across the Enterprise Zone and the wider area giving a further boost to the local economy.
Businesses which move to the Enterprise Zone by 31st March 2022 may not have to pay any business rates for five years – which could, in some cases, be worth approximately £275,000 to a business.
Forest Café gets a £500 pick-me-up from council
A café in Whitehill & Bordon has been given a £500 boost from East Hampshire District Council. The Forest Café, in the Forest Shopping Centre, was given a new lease of life when Nick Barker took over the business.
Cllr Nick Drew, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development at EHDC, said: “Our business start-up incentive scheme continues to be of great benefit for new enterprises in East Hampshire. It’s been great to enjoy a cup of coffee in a café we have been able to help.”
He extensively refurbished the premises and through good customer service and a focus on the requirements of local people has seen a steady increase in customers. There are plans for an expansion in the seating area, for further refurbishment and new equipment.
An arrangement with Enterprise First, a not-for-profit agency that has been helping start-ups in Hampshire since 1981, means that tailored advice and support is now on offer, in addition to a grant of £500 from the council for eligible businesses.
Nick Barker said: “It’s been hard work building up the business, but is now great that the café really serves the local people of the town. There are still things I’d like to improve and the grant from EHDC will help with that.”
New businesses in East Hampshire can apply to the scheme, which is fast becoming fully subscribed. It is very easy to apply, details at www.easthants.gov.uk/business.
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Community events in Whitehill & Bordon
March Sat 5th - Bike tour of Prince Philip Barracks 10am - midday Hop on your bike (can be supplied by Alice Holt Cycle Centre) and take a historic tour of Prince Philip Barracks (led by Woolmer Forest Heritage Society). All abilities welcome. Sat 5th - Furniture Helpline launch event From 10am Take a tour of Furniture Helpline’s new premises and see Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville who will be opening the facility. Sat 5th - Clean for the Queen 1pm - 4pm at Whitehill Village Hall Join Radian and the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company for a litter pick on Hogmoor Inclosure. Sun 6th - Woodland treat walkabout Prince Philip Barracks 2pm - 4pm Join Deadwater Valley Trust for lots of family activities, storytelling and a Mother’s Day surprise. Tue 8th - Tots’ ramble in the woods Meet at the car park in Conde Way 10:45am - midday A woodland walk for you and your little ones. Free snack and small activity included. Buggy friendly.
Fri 11th - Roller disco The gym at Prince Philip Barracks 6pm - 9pm £5 entry which includes skate and safety pad hire. Suitable for all ages and abilities. Sun 13th - Walk, make and bake 1pm - 4pm Join Deadwater Valley Trust for an afternoon in the woods being creative and enjoying campfire food. Call 01420 479 070 to book. Mon 14th - Guided tour of Bordon Inclosure 3pm - 5pm A guided walk looking at the newly improved Bordon Inclosure woodland. Meet at the entrance to Bordon Inclosure on Lindford Road. Mon 21st - Junior rangers 4pm - 5:30pm A monthly club for 5-11 year-olds. Suitable for children who love nature. Call 01420 479 070 to book. Wed 30th - Easter trail Martinique House 1pm - 3pm An Easter hunt at Martinique House with storytelling and family activities.
April Wed 6th - Sports taster event Garrison Pool grounds 10am - midday and 2pm - 4pm Try your hand at a number of different sports including cricket, underwater hockey, snorkelling, rugby, football and squash.
Fri 8th - Roller disco The gym at Prince Philip Barracks 6pm - 9pm £5 entry which includes skate and safety pad hire. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
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Sat 16th - Themed market Prince Philip Barracks Parade Ground 10am - 3pm Take a look at a range of market stalls from around the area. A wide variety of food and goods will be on offer.
May Fri 13th - Roller disco The gym at Prince Philip Barracks 6pm - 9pm £5 entry which includes skate and safety pad hire. Suitable for all ages and abilities. Sat 14th - Music revolution Prince Philip Barracks 4pm - 6pm and 7pm - 11pm Disco Darren plays some music mayhem for children at 4pm and all types of music for adults in the evening.
June Sat 4th - Urban street market Prince Philip Barracks Parade Ground 3pm - late The street market will have music and exciting takeaway food from Britain, Italy, Mexico, Venezuela and China.
Sun 12th - Queen’s birthday picnic Phoenix Theatre and Arts Centre 11:30am - 4pm Celebrate the Queen’s birthday with a bouncy castle, family games and a picnic.
Fri 10th - Roller disco The gym at Prince Philip Barracks 6pm - 9pm £5 entry which includes skate and safety pad hire. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
Sat 25th - Whitehill & Bordon Festival Budds Lane sports field 11am - 9:30pm See the Hampshire 999 display with food, funfair rides and community and craft stalls.
July Sat 2nd - Outdoor cinema Prince Philip barracks The Phoenix Theatre and Arts Centre and the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company bring you two showings of a recent hit movie, a sit down showing and a later (possibly drive-in) showing.
Fri 8th - Roller disco The gym at Prince Philip Barracks 6pm - 9pm £5 entry which includes skate and safety pad hire. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
For more information and events in Whitehill & Bordon: www.whitehillbordon.com www.whitehillbordonregeneration.co.uk www.quebecpark-people.co.uk www.whitehilltowncouncil.gov.uk www.woolmerforest.org.uk
www.cfheh.org.uk/whitehill-bordon www.wbtp.co.uk www.deadwatervalleytrust.co.uk www.phoenixarts.co.uk
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March 2016
Written and designed by
This document was created by East Hampshire District Council’s Communications Team on behalf of the partners in the Whitehill & Bordon Delivery and Implementation Board. It was printed in Whitehill & Bordon on recycled paper and all details were correct at time of going to print (23/2/16).
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