The Haven Gateway Partnership was established as a framework to help partner organisations within the Haven Gateway sub-region work together to help promote the economic opportunities and develop the future of this major UK gateway.
The five ports of Felixstowe, Harwich International, Harwich Navyard, Ipswich and Mistley represent the single most important cluster of ports in the UK.
Ipswich Port, owned by ABP, is a centre for the shipping industry catering for shortsea shipping and bulk cargoes. Ipswich is prominent in the handling of millions of tonnes of agri-bulk cargo with excellent container and Ro-Ro facilities. Felixstowe, the UK's largest container terminal and a major European hub for containers, is just 12 miles from Ipswich. Both Ipswich and Felixstowe ports are supported by a strong local base of major shipping companies. Just a short distance away is the port of Harwich which has excellent ferry links with the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia.
These ports act as both hubs and generators of economic activity. HGP helps the many public and private sector partners in the sub-region work together in order to promote economic opportunities and secure the future prosperity of the region.
The Partnership's vision for the period to 2011 is:
"To deliver a high quality environment for its residents, workers and visitors, by capitalising on its location as a key gateway, realising its potential for significant substantial growth, addressing its needs for economic regeneration, creating an additional focus for growth in hi-tech, knowledge based employment, related to the Cambridge clusters, and protecting and enhancing its high quality, attractive natural assets."
Key components of this vision include:
- A focus on ports, with associated transport and logistics industries;
- A concentration on developing housing and jobs in Ipswich and Colchester and surrounding the ports;
- Encouraging the development of Colchester and Ipswich as complementary centres of creativity and innovation;
- Encouraging high tech knowledge based employment linked to the University of Essex and the new University Campus Suffolk;
- Improving the public realm and achieving high quality design;
- Re-connecting towns to their water fronts;
- Establishing a network of open spaces and green corridors across the sub-region.
In 2006 the Haven Gateway sub-region received formal Government designation as a new growth point, which unlocked funding towards future projects. In the first year alone Growth Point Status unlocked around £5.5m funding, which was initially focused on enabling specific development projects in Ipswich and Colchester.
The Partnership has a comprehensive work programme, which is split into six working groups, who meet regularly to discuss projects and activities within their sector, and report back to the partnership's Board. These cover many different areas, including; business development; education and training; marketing and promotion; planning and regeneration; tourism and culture, and transportation and infrastructure.
Further information about specific HGP work and projects can be found on the partnership website at www.haven-gateway.org (opens in a new window).