Aldershot and Farnborough are home to successful and world-renowned large businesses, many innovative and rapidly growing SMEs and successful independent businesses. We will continue to work with these businesses to support them and boost local job opportunities and local economic growth.
Working with schools and colleges, we will connect people, particularly young people, with new jobs, opportunities and training to develop skills that our growing businesses need, giving people access to the benefits of a strong, local economy. We will continue our focus on driving growth and investment to boost our strong business sectors and develop Aldershot and Farnborough as hubs for defence, aerospace and technology.
With developments such as Aldershot’s Union Yard and Farnborough’s Landing town square already making a positive impact on our town centres, we will regenerate and improve more spaces where people can live and come together; spaces for businesses, for creators, for makers and the community. We will improve the retail environment and attract businesses into vacant units, also building stronger vibrant community spaces that complement our thriving local businesses. We will strive to make sure that our town centres match the success of our strong and successful businesses.
Priorities
- Skills - Promote access to skills, development and training so that residents can be part of a thriving local economy
- Economy - Work with businesses to attract and retain jobs, through active place-making and targeting of key industries
- Regeneration - Partner with experts to deliver strategic transformation of town centres and neighbourhoods
Action plan for these priorities
| Activity |
Outputs |
Skills - Promote access to skills, development and training so that residents can be part of a thriving local economy.
- Deliver targeted projects, events and engagement activities designed to help residents who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) to get access to apprenticeships, training and employment opportunities
- By summer 2026 establish a Youth Hub with the Department for Work and Pensions and other partners to support young people (16-25) into employment
- Work with local partners to coordinate and promote skills and employment opportunities, including supporting a skills and careers event to connect residents, schools, and colleges with local employers/ training providers
- Continue to require businesses to provide new employment and skills plans as part of any significant planning applications that show how residents will have opportunities for work and training
|
- A series of projects and engagement activities, to help residents get access to training, apprenticeships and employment opportunities
- Launch of a Youth Hub by summer 2026
- Skills and careers event held successfully
- Positive qualitative feedback from event attendees, businesses and supported residents shows positive impact of council support
- Employment and skills plans developed, where appropriate, and monitored by the council
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Economy - Work with businesses to attract and retain jobs, through active place-making and targeting of key industries.
- Support the development of the Aldershot and Farnborough Growth Partnership
- Implement the Farnborough Aerospace Cluster Development Action Plan which sets out how the council will work with partners to grow and strengthen the cluster as a globally recognised hub for aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing
- Implement place narratives for Aldershot and Farnborough including working with partners to promote the area as an inward investment destination and target potential investors
- Work with partners to deliver networking events focused on specific, actionable themes linked to Rushmoor’s key growth sectors
- Support businesses by providing one-to-one business advice and training focused on key growth sectors and retail.
- Leverage the social value aims of businesses through a new social value business toolkit to help regenerate our towns and promote access to skills and training
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- Aldershot and Farnborough Growth Partnership launched and embedded
- Inward investment collateral completed (website and investment prospectus)
- Creation of an implementation plan for the place narrative and branding toolkit
- Networking events delivered
- One-to-one advice sessions held with businesses
- Social value business toolkit delivered
|
Regeneration - Partner with experts to deliver transformation of town centres and neighbourhoods.
- Review the Farnborough Civic Quarter masterplan and work with key partners on potential phasing, funding, and implementation as part of a wider approach to the regeneration of Farnborough town centre
- Work with developers of The Galleries to unblock the scheme and enable delivery of a mixed-use scheme including a town centre car park
- Facilitate the disposal of 82 residential units at Union Yard and occupation of the remaining retail units
- Facilitate the opening of Loungers in the Meads
- Complete the disposal of vacant land at the north of Farnborough town centre to enable new homes and community uses
- Improve the public areas and retail environment of Aldershot, Farnborough and North Camp centres
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- A revised and viable approach to the redevelopment of the Farnborough Civic Quarter
- A viable scheme for The Galleries is brought forward by the developer
- Remaining retail and housing units at Union Yard occupied
- Loungers opens in Farnborough
- Development of vacant land at the north of Farnborough town centre is taken forward to planning
- An initial feasibility study is carried out to improve the public areas in Farnborough town centre
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Our delivery plan
This page is part of our delivery plan, where we have five priority themes for 2026-28.
Please see our delivery plan for 2026-28 page for more information.
