Our vision is for our borough to have a thriving, inclusive economy—a place where jobs, skills, opportunities, infrastructure, and services meet the needs of all our communities. Our small businesses form the backbone of our economy, while our large companies showcase our collective strength and drive our future success. At the same time, our future depends on nurturing entrepreneurial talent, fostering innovation, and unlocking new opportunities for growth.
This framework is about removing barriers and opening doors—making it easier for businesses and individuals to thrive. It’s about what we can do as a council, what you can do as partners, and what we can achieve together. By working collaboratively, we can ensure that everyone in our borough has access to opportunity and a share in prosperity.
This strategy is focused on our economy, but it sits within the suite of policies and plans that when taken together define our approach to Basingstoke and Deane as a great place to live, work and do business. We must ensure we take everyone with us on this journey. That economic success is measured, yes, in numbers and statistics, but more than that it is measured in how we enrich people’s lives and lift up our whole community so everyone has a part to play and benefits from our borough’s success.
We have an amazing workforce, we have a vibrant small business sector, a world leading set of major employers, and some of the best public sector employers in the region. Make no mistake, Basingstoke and Deane is a powerhouse. This is also reflected between our rural and urban economies and in the diversity of our economy.
People want good jobs, that pay well, that offer aspiration and opportunity. Businesses want stable, strong and clear direction from us as a local authority, so they can plan and grow sustainably. People want to live in a place that is vibrant, clean and green, with a sense of identity they can be proud of. We want education that offers skills and opportunity, that promotes the best of lifelong learning and professional development.
We have enabled major inward investment over the last year. We have secured confidence amongst major employers and our small businesses. We listen, respond and lead. We shape the debate. Our strength is based on an incredible officer team who are widely respected by the business community.
Whether you are a small business owner, a large employer, or an entrepreneur with big ideas, this is your invitation to be part of our future economy—a future of access, opportunity, and prosperity for all.
Economic development plays an important role in improving living standards, in building thriving places and in creating more opportunities for people to have a good life.
To maximise these potential benefits, the Future Economy Framework provides guiding principles to drive economic growth in the borough by:
It supports the Council Plan priority of “a place where people can have pride in their communities and the borough” and help address the priority of “a borough where we protect, restore, reconnect and enhance our natural environment” through promoting clean and sustainable economic growth and supporting the decarbonisation of the economy.
The cross-cutting themes of inclusive, clean, and smart growth are embedded in our approach, to create an economy that is more sustainable and more equitable and that embraces innovation.
The Future Economy Framework will guide local economic development in the short-term whilst also enabling proactive and effective engagement with the emerging Local Growth Plan process, enabling us to shape devolution and re-organisation efforts to benefit our residents and businesses.
It underpins a detailed action plan which will be reviewed and updated regularly as initiatives are being delivered and new actions identified. To ensure its continued effectiveness and relevance, working closely with our partners remains a key priority in this ongoing process.
This framework complements key infrastructure project plans, and builds upon other internal strategies, including the Council Plan, the adopted Local Plan, emerging Local Plan Update, the emerging Anti-Poverty Strategy, the Economic Masterplan for Basingstoke and Deane 2033, the Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy, the Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan and the Cultural Framework. Externally, it links to Hampshire County Council’s Economic Strategy, the Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIP) and central government’s emerging Industrial Strategy and the AI Opportunities Action Plan.
Basingstoke is thriving, with major developments gaining pace. Construction on Manydown North, a new community of 3,520 homes with green spaces and community facilities, began in January 2025, and the council is working with its partners Urban&Civic and Hampshire County Council to realise a shared ambition for further sustainable development in this area of Basingstoke West.
Estate regeneration includes Sovereign Hill Partnership’s transformational plans for 4,500 homes in Buckskin and South Ham, and VIVID’s project for 203 new homes and health and community facilities in Winklebury.
The council, a major landowner in the borough with a strong track record of working in partnership and delivering innovative and successful projects, is advancing town centre and leisure park masterplans, including Great Wolf Resorts’ £300 million investment in a hotel, indoor water park, and conference facilities, one of three resorts targeted at the UK market.
Private investment is strong, with £18.1 million at St Modwen Park for manufacturing and £30 million to refurbish Mountbatten House, now PLANT, into a Grade A BREEAM Outstanding vibrant office space at Basing View. Arena Business Centres has also expanded its presence by opening a second location, further demonstrating the area's business appeal.
This framework results from extensive research, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. A review of various reports has provided a solid quantitative foundation for understanding our economy's strengths, weaknesses, and future growth opportunities. This quantitative analysis is complemented by qualitative research through engagement activities with local businesses, partners, council officers, and elected members, including one-on-one conversations, workshops, and briefings.
To ensure long-term prosperity, we must address challenges that threaten our economy, particularly barriers to accessing talent. Workforce shortages hinder our economy, so it's essential to establish an educational ecosystem that equips both current and future workers with necessary skills. Therefore, attracting a university remains pivotal to enhancing local educational opportunities, increasing research and development, and supporting a skilled workforce. Supporting entrepreneurs is an important priority; while the borough is a good place for start-ups, we must enhance the local eco-system for business growth and innovation.
As new commercial developments respond to the demand for Grade A office space and prices begin to rise, the Local Plan ensures that suitable provision is made to meet identified floorspace need. We must continue providing flexible and affordable accommodation to support new businesses on their growth journey. Collaborating with cross-sector partners from private, public, community, and health organisations will be vital for achieving inclusive growth and removing barriers to good jobs.
Furthermore, the new hospital, set to be built in 2039, will create significant job opportunities, attract investment to the region, and serve as a catalyst for economic growth by engaging businesses, residents, and partners early in the planning process to maximise its transformative potential. We will continue to advocate that the hospital is delivered as soon as possible.
The mix of the modern and vibrant town of Basingstoke and beautiful open countryside offers the best of both worlds, making it important to preserve the balance between urban and rural areas through careful planning in line with the adopted Local Plan spatial strategy. Continued investment in leisure and culture will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike, and adapting to changes in retail will ensure that Basingstoke's town centre remains a central hub that meets the expectations of current and new residents.
This framework will establish the foundation for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s future economic development plans from 2025 to 2032, guiding decisions and initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive growth. It will deliver against the council's priorities in areas such as inward investment, place marketing, business support, the visitor economy, and skills development. By prioritising the needs of our residents and businesses, as well as the community itself, and being welcoming to those who want to invest or move to the borough, this framework will ensure that the council delivers the highest quality services and support.
Our Future Economy Framework is built around a clear objective: to make the borough a place of inclusive opportunities where all businesses, people, and communities can grow, thrive, and achieve long-term success. The framework is underpinned by three key principles:
Inclusive and sustainable growth, underpinned by emerging technologies, must be integrated into all plans and priorities to drive innovation, enhance productivity, and promote equitable economic opportunities while reducing environmental impact. The themes that cuts across the framework therefore are:
Our Future Economy Framework is built around three core areas of focus: business, people, and place, and is underpinned by a more complete dataset and a “living” action plan as appendices.
This theme focuses on fostering resilience, innovation, and inclusive growth by supporting entrepreneurship, improving access to resources, and helping businesses adapt to changing markets and technologies.
1.1 Grow our own
By creating supportive environments, we aim to nurture start-up businesses and innovation, ensuring that small enterprises have the resources and the adequate infrastructure they need to thrive, wherever they are located.
1.2 Keep business in the borough
We will support existing and incoming businesses of all sizes to grow and thrive by addressing supply chain needs, focusing on fast-growing businesses, simplifying business support, improving resilience to external challenges and strengthening high street and town centre businesses. At the same time, we will provide targeted interventions to support our rural businesses, ensuring their unique needs are met. The provision of new high quality employment space will also be a key contributing factor to retaining our local businesses.
1.3 Strengthen communication channels
Effective communication is key to building strong relationships with local businesses. We aim to enhance engagement through various channels, ensuring that businesses feel supported and connected to the council.
1.4 Promote cross-sector collaboration
We will foster cross-sector collaboration between businesses, key strategic partners and community organisations to foster innovation, enhance social impact and creates sustainable solutions that benefit both the community and the economy.
This theme focuses on breaking down obstacles that prevent individuals from accessing education, employment, and personal growth. This includes addressing challenges like skills gaps, economic inactivity, mental health issues, and social inequalities, enabling everyone to achieve their potential and contribute to the community.
2.1 Help people find work
Initiatives focus on connecting diverse job seekers with opportunities and improving their skills, while removing barriers to employment and offering support to specific groups such as the unemployed and underemployed.
2.2 Help people stay in work
Programmes aim to help employers and employees support mental health and neurodiversity in the workplace, promoting retention and inclusivity, while also improving skills and addressing concerns around hiring apprentices
2.3 Help people progress in education and careers
Various programmes provide young people with experiences, skills, and qualifications, removing barriers to career development and promoting inclusivity, including initiatives to foster better school attendance and higher aspirations, while also connecting learning with potential career paths.
This theme focuses on showcasing the unique strengths and identity of the borough while enhancing key areas, such as the town centre, to foster pride, attract investment and support a vibrant, happy community.
What we will do:
3.1 Tell our story
We will continue to showcase the borough’s strengths and assets to attract inward investment, talent, and new residents, while at the same time fuelling an appreciation of the borough with existing business and residents as natural ambassadors of our place. A refreshed Place Marketing Plan will focus on the following key areas:
3.2 Enhance our place
GVA: Gross Value Added (GVA) is a measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry, or sector, minus the cost of the inputs used to create them. In simple terms, it shows how much value an economic activity adds to the economy.
Inclusive growth: A way of thinking about and pursuing economic development that emphasises the importance of giving everyone in society a stake in economic growth by ensuring its benefits are fairly distributed.
Inclusive economy: An economy in which there are opportunities for all and prosperity is widely shared.
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