Aaron Booker

Southampton City Council

Southampton is a successful city; it is the city of opportunity and the powerhouse for the wider South Hampshire economy. In 2013 Southampton benefitted from the greatest increase in economic output (gross value added) in England. Over the next 20 years, Southampton will: - Attract more economic investment, including continued growth of the Port, the broader marine economy, a new city centre business district centred on the Royal Pier Waterfront and Station Quarter, and investment in industrial areas, for example in the Itchen Riverside Quarter; - Plan for further growth and enhancement of the city centre as a major retail, leisure and cultural destination; - Support the education and training of the city's residents; - Provide many new homes, and the right type of homes, to meet people's needs, with major growth in the city centre, along the Itchen Riverside and on other major sites; - Continue to regenerate the council's housing estates to provide more homes and improve the environment and protect attractive residential areas; - Support an efficient transport network which minimises congestion and pollution and improves air quality by encouraging more walking, cycling and use of public transport whilst retaining appropriate provision for cars; - Protect and enhance the city's rich heritage, Old Town and its network of green spaces, waterfront access and links, including the Central Parks, Southampton Common and many other valued spaces around the city; - Manage and respond to climate change and air quality; - Protect and enhance biodiversity and ecology.