The Central South is a pioneering region with a thirst for new ideas, shaped by its coastline, global connections and outstanding talent base with world-leading employers and educational facilities.

The area, centred around the conurbations of Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, provides the bedrock for the future of the UK in a redefined international geography post-withdrawal from the EU.

Home of the UK’s global gateway with the UK’s leading export port at Southampton, and with 90 per cent of exports going outside of Europe, the Central South is well placed to redistribute goods from the Far East to Europe.

But it is not all about exporting. Significant global and national employers are also based here, from public sector organisations including the Royal Navy to private sector organisations such as IBM, Lloyd’s Register and Cooper Vision, as well as international household names originating from the region, such as Sunseeker and Lush Cosmetics.

World renowned education establishments, including the University of Southampton Science Park and the National Oceanography Centre, add to provide a region with experience, talent and knowledge. The local universities’ strengths are well-matched to the growth sectors of the economy and this enables the region to be future ready. With more than 110,000 students in education within the Central South’s 11 universities, around 25,000 graduates will enter the workforce locally each year, and with 28 per cent of the population being under 25 years old, the region has a talented emerging workforce.

However, median house prices are above the national average – £358,000 in the Central South compared with the UK average of £255,000. Land is constrained by the sea and national parks and, as a consequence, housing delivery remains undersupplied.

Providing the right kind of homes for the emerging workforce will be key to making sure workers stay living and working within the region. Failure to provide the right kind of housing could impact business growth, as the aspiring homemakers – those younger households settling down in housing priced within their means – could be driven to look elsewhere.

The opportunity to deliver the right kind of housing to support the growing economy of the Central South needs to be grasped to ensure the region delivers on its potential.

Further information

Contact Gavin Hall