Solent Enterprise Zone Launches

2015

In 2015, the former HMS Daedalus site was designated as the Solent Enterprise Zone, marking the most significant step in the redevelopment of the naval air station since its closure in 1996. The Enterprise Zone designation, granted by central government, provided business rate relief, simplified planning procedures and public investment to attract companies and create employment on the site. The Solent Enterprise Zone was designed to support innovation and advanced manufacturing, building on the Solent area's existing strengths in marine, aerospace and defence technology. The former hangars and workshops of HMS Daedalus were refurbished for commercial use, and new business premises were constructed. The site attracted a mix of small and medium-sized enterprises, many with connections to the engineering and technology sectors. A key element of the Enterprise Zone was the retention of Solent Airport (formerly Daedalus Airfield), preserving the site's aviation function. The runway and associated facilities continued to operate for general aviation, flight training and business flights, maintaining a direct link to the airfield's century-long aviation heritage. The retention of the airport was a condition insisted upon by local campaigners who argued that the site's aviation history should not be entirely erased by commercial development. The Enterprise Zone also included plans for residential development on parts of the Daedalus site, with new housing estates gradually extending across former military land. This housing, combined with the commercial development, began to integrate the Daedalus site into the wider fabric of Lee-on-the-Solent after decades of separation behind military perimeter fences. The transformation of HMS Daedalus from a closed military base into a mixed-use development site has been the defining story of Lee-on-the-Solent in the twenty-first century. The process has been slow, sometimes contentious, and is still ongoing, but the Enterprise Zone designation provided the framework and financial incentives needed to give the site a viable future.