South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Hythe Marine Park, Hampshire

SEEDA has completed the acquisition of the freehold of the former RAF Hythe, from the Ministry of Defence, at Shore Road, Hythe. The Agency’s objective is to bring the site back into use as a Marine Business Park. The site was occupied, until September 2006, by the US Army and was used for the servicing and repair of military vehicles and vessels from across Europe and is one of the few remaining available waterside employment sites in the Solent area.

The site is dominated by two large hangars both with waterfront access, and ancillary accommodation including workshops and office accommodation, totalling around 22,000 square metres and set in approximately 4.9 hectares (12 acres) of hardstanding area. The site will be adapted to enable the existing buildings to be sub-divided and occupied by marine businesses and would be ideally suited to boat builders and repairers, marine engineers and associated businesses that could benefit from being located on Southampton Water and make use of the specialist facilities retained on the site

Site Improvements

Work has now commenced on a package of site wide infrastructure improvements which is enabling the site for occupation by marine companies. These include electrical upgrades, and a new vehicular access. Planning permission has now been obtained from New Forest District Council for a new access road which is expected to be completed by September 2008.

Ship Lift Facility

The facilities at Hythe Marine Park include a hangar of approximately 10,000m² which houses a platform (cradle) lift and slipway. The slipway hoist can move vessels of around 50 metres LOA , and up to approximately 750 tonnes up the railed slipway and on to the hardstanding. There is also an internal rail system which operates throughout the hangar this allows for traversing and dry docking of multiple vessels, protecting them from the elements. With the addition of a removable steel extension to the slipway cradle, larger vessels of up to c. 55m LOA can be slipped. As well as site wide infrastructure improvements, the slipway will shortly benefit from upgrade works, providing project offices, equipment storage and welfare facilities. This is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

Working Berths

The site benefits from a number of alongside berths with varying draughts, this includes sea wall, fixed barge platforms and pontoons. These provide working areas in the water, with service connections.

Slipway Winch

• Maximum weight to be hauled on incline (including vessel and cradles) is 950
  tonnes.
• Maximum weight of vessel is approx. 750 tonnes. Weight of cradles and associated
  equipment is 200 tonnes (approx).
• Maximum LOA of vessel to be slipped using slipway cradle extension is 55m (subject to vessel configuration).
  

SEEDA is working with A&I Technology Ltd, who now employ a number of the slipway personnel previously employed by the US Army, to make the facility available for commercial use for the first time. SEEDA will be looking to appoint a long term partner during that time to secure the use of the facility into the future for the marine industry.

Enquiries from companies and boat owners with specific hauling requirements from June 2008 should be directed to the site:

Chris Hems
Tel: 0845 2932945 (mobile) 07713 565045
enquiries@hythemarinepark.co.uk

Or come and see us at the Marine South East stand at the SeaWork Commercial Marine Exhibition and Conference from June 10-12th www.seawork.com

It is intended the re-use of this brownfield site will enable occupation by marine businesses and provide employment and training opportunities for entrants into the marine industry.

Marine Occupiers

Since SEEDA completed the acquisition of Hythe Marine Park, it has attracted a great deal of interest from the marine industry. A number of occupiers have already located to the site in parallel with the ongoing improvement works, which will contribute to the regeneration of this important waterside employment site. It is intended the re-use of this brownfield site will enable occupation by marine businesses and provide employment and training opportunities for entrants into the marine industry.

Current or confirmed occupiers as of May 2008 are as follows:

Palmer Johnson Ltd Griffon Hovercraft Ltd
Aluminium Shipbuilders Ltd Portland Marine Ltd
Hovertrans Ltd Coatings Solutions (UK) Ltd
Choose Design Ltd Fenwick Inspection Services Ltd
Draughtmark Ltd A&I Technology Ltd

The 20,000 square metres of industrial and office space has already created around 50 jobs, with this figure set to increase significantly following the completion of site improvements works. Upon completion of the works, the official opening of Hythe Marine Park in Sept (date tbc) will mark the successful completion of the first phase of this important project for the UK marine industry. The site is expected to create in excess of 300 jobs in the marine industry over the next 3 years.

Consultation

On 28th November 2007 SEEDA held a public exhibition which gave the local community and businesses an opportunity to view the planning application and concept plans for the site. Several hundred people attended the exhibition.

View Publications:

• Hythe Marine Park Newsletter (Adobe Acrobat PDF 1Mb, PDF Help).