20 focus on bournemouth & poole ... continued from previous page
currently being examined, with a smaller scheme submitted (194 turbines with a capacity of 630 megawatts) in response to a query from the examining panel and sited further from the shore.
Bournemouth council’s Local Impact Report has detailed significant detrimental impact which the proposed wind farm would have on the local economy. Evidence shows that the cumulative impacts of the obvious damage to the visual amenity and the loss of the area’s intrinsic appeal would have major knock-on effects to employment, the tourism economy and long-term investment. Combined, the negative effects of the development would far outweigh any benefits.
“The collective and cumulative effect Navitus Bay’s proposed wind farm will have on our local environment, the visitor economy and wider business confidence in the town will cause unprecedented and unacceptable negative
effects. All the evidence indicates that this wind farm will damage local businesses and lead to job losses,“ Beesley stated.
The council, many residents and businesses are campaigning passionately against the industrialisation of Poole Bay, an area of significant concern at a time when the leader of Dorset’s countywide business support organisation has backed calls for radical action to destroy barriers to economic growth.
Ian Girling, chief executive of Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), has voiced his support to British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) demands for government reforms to keep the economic recovery on track. He spoke after the BCC’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey showed that the economy was still growing but the pace had slowed in some sectors, especially manufacturing and exports. Some 7,000 businesses nationwide take part in the quarterly gauge of the economy’s health, including many DCCI members.
Girling backed BCC calls for the Government to remove barriers to growth by urgently reforming business rates, bolstering support for exporters and boosting access to finance for small firms.
He said: “Businesses in Dorset have shown incredible determination to survive the worst recession in living memory. As a chamber we have been expanding, modernising and stepping-up our wide range of services to give our members as much support as possible to move forward.
“With nearly 700 members, representing some 37,000 employees, the Chamber hears many first-hand accounts of how members need much more support from the Government. This is vitally important to help them to take the next steps as we advance into the next phase of recovery and capitalise on the many strengths we have in the county, including many in the Bournemouth area.
“Our universities and colleges continue to produce high-calibre graduates, many of whom stay, live and work here. We also have close access to international air travel, which brings benefits for tourism and business, as well as good rail and road links. While both tourism and exporters continue to be major drivers of the local economy, Bournemouth also has an enviable width and depth of businesses across many sectors.
“This diverse business base includes strong creative, financial and insurance services sectors, engineering, manufacturing, marine, tourism, consumer and retail services, among others. They range from blue-chip companies offering high-quality jobs to micro-businesses and tech- entrepreneurs working from home on the next digital innovation.
“As a chamber, we have a fantastic membership in Bournemouth and the county as a whole, which has real desire to play its part in driving strong economic growth.“
Above: Bournemouth Borough Council’s vision to virtually reconnect Bourne Stream in the lower gardens to the seafront, for the first time in over 100 years
Below: Student accommodation for the Arts University Bournemouth delivered by Bournemouth Development Company
The DCCI, which was established in 1949, recently launched a new drive to link chambers across the area, and welcomed Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce as an affiliate member.
One company that has been behind much of the development in Bournemouth is Terence O’Rourke. It has secured planning approval for millions of pounds worth of building projects that will change the town’s skyline in coming years, including:
• Terrace Mount, a development by THAT Group featuring a 172-bedroom four-star Hilton Hotel, a 120-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, 59 residential apartments and public and private underground car parking.
• The Citrus Building, a curved mixed-use development of 64 apartments with ground-floor café/restaurant in the Horseshoe Common area. The project, led by Bournemouth Development Company, is due for completion in early 2015.
• The Bournemouth Development Company’s redevelopment of Madeira Road Car Park to provide purpose-built accommodation for
www.businessmag.co.uk THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – DECEMBER 14/JANUARY 15
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