BASINGSTOKE will become a technology hub and be positioned as an office relocation destination as part of its Covid recovery.

40 years after it was named as one of the London overspill towns, traffic could be set to go the other way as the borough council looks to attract offices and businesses into the town.

Its position as the fourth largest IT area in the country will be exploited as the council attempts to harness the “opportunities offered by 5G”.

It will all be rooted in green, clean growth as part of the council’s pledge for the borough to be carbon neutral by 2030.

The details were discussed at a meeting of the council’s Economic, Planning and Housing committee on Thursday, where the impact of the Covid crisis was assessed and the plan to get the borough, its businesses and people back on track was debated.

Council documents show that nearly a quarter of the workforce in Basingstoke and Deane was furloughed up to the end of June, with unemployment rising to 4.3 per cent in May – which is “already substantially higher” than during the 2008 financial crash.

Younger people are the worst affected, the documents show, with 7.9 per cent of 18-24 year olds now out of work.

Speaking at the meeting, Leader of the Council, Cllr Ken Rhatigan, said: “There is nothing more important than ensuring that we in this borough have a framework that encourages new investments, supports existing businesses, and allows those that wish to alter, adapt and change the way that they work to feel that we are fertile grounds on which they can sow their seeds for the businesses of the future and the opportunities those will give to all.”

Over the next 12 months, the council plans to develop a Youth Hub and help increase the number of apprenticeships offered by local businesses.

It also aims to maximise and promote opportunities in the digital technology sector, by supporting the commercialisation of 5G applications and offering training opportunities in coding and other tech skills.

Furlough funding offered through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is due to be withdrawn at the end of next month, and the council is determined to encourage employers to remain, or move into, the area, and consider working together to support one another through the coming year.

The documents said: “The recovery phase offers an opportunity for us to mitigate against some of the potential impacts and foster greater collaborations amongst our sectors.

“In the peak of the pandemic, global supply chains were interrupted forcing local businesses to consider businesses based in Chineham rather than China to provide the goods and services they needed.

“We want this to continue as it is good for local businesses and good for the environment with less travel required.”

Continued road and infrastructure improvements, capacity for e-bike and e-scooter schemes and enhanced social media use for celebrating what Basingstoke has to offer, were all additional strategies outlined in plans.

Marketing Basingstoke as a “strong destination for office relocation” and creating additional co-working spaces within council buildings are practical steps they plan to take to draw businesses out of London. 

The proposals will now move on to review by the council cabinet in the next couple of weeks.