10 focus on portsmouth City is shaping up
Portsmouth’s regeneration projects are underway as part of an overall strategy for the city, ’Shaping the future of Portsmouth’.
Approved in January and developed by the city council in consultation with a range of stakeholders, including local businesses and residents, it focuses on delivering future prosperity of the city. It outlines plans to achieve the vision, including supporting business and growth, making the city a better place to live and improving infrastructure.
The strategy looks at how the city’s many strengths can be developed to ensure that there are quality jobs in the city, which local people have the skills and opportunities to take up. It targets two key areas: supporting economic growth, innovation and enterprise in Portsmouth, and enhancing the city’s competitiveness in a regional,
national and international field.
Commuters have noticed the most obvious successful new development in Portsmouth – the fully-operational Trafalgar Gate link road, a new direct route for naval base traffic using the M275 motorway to enter or leave the city.
There are some minor finishing touches to be carried out on site, but these will not affect traffic movements. The final part of the project is the painting of murals on the newly-rendered panels situated on the retaining walls that run alongside the new link road. The TGLR team has a locally-based artist and his team painting 10 maritime images featuring naval history to create an atmospheric entrance into the naval base.
Derelict for many years, Tipner forms a key gateway to Portsmouth, however, plans for
a new motorway junction and bus lane are on hold. Funding for the project was coming from the DfT (Department for Transport), which is reviewing budget spend across the whole country. The scheme has been reviewed and earlier this year, the city council learned that the project had been earmarked in the ’development pool’; by December 2012 this large scheme should have funding and be placed in the ’Supportive Pool’. Similarly, a planning application approved in 2009 to demolish and replace crumbling Northern Road Bridge, placed on hold, has been earmarked in the ’development pool’. By the same date this should have funding and be placed in the ’Supportive Pool’ too.
Portsmouth Football Club (PFC) wishes to redevelop Fratton Park and the surrounding area to provide for long-term needs, but the 2004 planning permission has expired, so any new proposals will require a new planning application.
Onward and upward with an MBA
After spending 20 years running a business which made bespoke dresses for foreign royals and wives of top chefs, international polo players and rock stars, Sarah Miles, wanted a change of direction. Following an MBA at the University of Portsmouth Business School, she is now running a two- year project with the UK market leader for humidification as well as studying for a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA).
She said: ”When I worked as a dressmaker, people used to come to me for the bespoke service.
I
was good at sourcing unique fabrics and trims and people didn’t seem to think twice about coming down from London to be fitted. However, after 20 years in the industry, I felt I was getting a bit stale and decided I wanted a break from fashion. My children were growing up and the market conditions were changing with fast-fashion becoming the norm, even for the very rich, so it seemed a sensible time to take the plunge and embark on something new.”
Miles signed up to study for a hospitality management course after remembering how much she had enjoyed her gap years working as a chef in France, as a
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chalet girl in Italy and helping run a London wine bar.
After completing a higher national diploma in the subject – and coming top of her class – she enrolled on the final year of a degree at the University of Portsmouth Business School and a year later again came top of her class gaining a first in BA (Hons) Hospitality Management. She then applied for, and was granted, a scholarship by the Business School to study for the Master of Business Administration (MBA).
”I was really lucky to have Gerry Banks at Portsmouth Business School as my tutor when I was
doing my first degree. Once I got into it I discovered that what I really loved was the academic challenge and business in general. It was Gerry who suggested I stay on and study for my MBA, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Whilst the hospitality degree was a full-time undergraduate programme, the MBA was designed for mature students who have senior management experience.
”We are very lucky at our age that doors haven’t closed to us in the same way they seemed to for our mothers. We are able to make huge changes and take on exciting new challenges and I love that. I wanted to do something entirely
Ever-popular Gunwharf Quays and the Spinnaker Tower have boosted Portsmouth leisure, shopping and tourism profile, but the Northern Quarter development will provide additional new shops, cafés and restaurants, seamlessly integrating with Commercial Road through the City Centre Improvements Project.
A wide-ranging schools’ plan is also being developed for Portsmouth, whereby headteachers, councillors, governors and colleges are working in partnership to identify a vision and strategy to raise standards in primary, secondary and special schools.
The Portsmouth Plan will guide the development of the city up to 2027. A pre-submission draft has been published, with representations closing last month. These will be submitted to the secretary of state next month with the plan and other supporting documents; the plan will be examined in November, with a decision due next March.
different. I was really lucky I could, as it changed my life.”
Miles is now working for JS Humidifiers, running a two-year knowledge transfer project in connection with the University of Portsmouth. The focus of the project is about improving processes, implementing a robust system for business analysis and financial reporting.
”The MBA gave me a real breadth of experience – I learnt about operations, marketing, finance and strengthened my general business skills. Undertaking the MBA with students from all over the world has widened my networks and created global business links. The company I work for exports to the Middle East and as a result of the MBA I have a number of contacts in the United Arab Emirates, which have proved extremely valuable. I am now studying for the DBA, another challenge which I’m enjoying. It is the highest level of professional and academic achievement so is a very desirable qualification to have.”
To find out more about courses offered at the Portsmouth Business School, the next postgraduate open evening will be held on July 7.
Details:
www.sharpenyour
competitiveedge.com
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JUNE 2011
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