Hythe site set to become new marine park
It’s just over a year since the former US Army base at RAF Hythe closed in September 2006 with the loss of around 200 jobs. Since then, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has been working behind the scenes with local partners, including Marine South East to ensure the successful future of the site.
In early October 2007, SEEDA completed the purchase of the site from the Ministry of Defence. As one of the last available waterside employment locations in The Solent area, Hythe is an important site for the marine industry, and SEEDA's primary aim is to ensure its long-term use for marine employment.
The marine park provides some 22,000 m2 of property set in approximately 4.9 hectares (12 acres) of land. While it was a US Army base, it was used for the servicing and repair of US military vessels and vehicles with a workforce skilled in services such as electronics, shot blasting, marine engineering, fabrication, welding, pipefitting and rigging.
The site is dominated by two large hangars, both with waterfront access, with one benefiting from a unique ship lifting facility which is able to lift up to 950 tonnes. There are also workshops, paint shops and office accommodation as well as working berths, a pier, pontoons and barge platforms.
SEEDA is going to re-open the site at Hythe as a marine business park and ensure it has a long term, sustainable future. The Agency intends to bring the facilities of the site back into use for the benefit of the marine industry and will work to transform it from a single-use military facility to a business park for many marine companies.
More than 200 skilled staff were formerly employed on site and the aim is to bring at least that number of jobs back to the marine park. SEEDA is encouraging marine companies which can make maximum use of the specialist provisions on the site, such as the water access and berths, to move to the marine park. Such marine companies will bring skilled employment and training opportunities to the area, both for ex-employees of the former RAF Hythe and for new entrants to the industry.
If you would like to find out more about opportunities at Hythe contact Paul Flatt, Development Manager at SEEDA by emailing paulflatt@seeda.co.uk or call 01483 484267.
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