Dorset investment zones could create 13,000 new jobs

As many as 13,000 new jobs could be created if plans for the government's proposed investment zones go ahead, a council has said.

Dorset Council has analysed three areas that previous Prime Minister Liz Truss said could benefit from a low taxation and high investment regime.

Weymouth, Portland and Wool, the site of the Dorset Innovation Park, are all earmarked for the scheme.

But it is unclear if new PM Rishi Sunak supports the programme.

In an Expression of Interest document, Dorset Council said the investment zone for Weymouth would be focused on the town centre, at the heart of "England's least socially mobile constituency".

If approved the council said it would "be the catalyst for bringing to life the Weymouth harbourside vision" with redeveloping disused sites to provide homes and jobs in a "leisure focused development".

The council, which already owns the freehold of around 60% of the site, said it had the potential to create 193 new homes and 4,714 new full-time jobs.

The government has been in talks with 38 local authorities to establish investment zones across England.

In neighbouring Portland the zone would be focused on the port with one residential site in Castletown, Ocean View, which would provide 157 apartments.

The council said the port land is a "unique Dorset site" and a former Royal Navy establishment with the potential to create 1,900 new full-time jobs.

The proposed investment zone in Wool adjoins the Dorset Innovation Park, the county's only Enterprise Zone (EZ).

It said its economic modelling suggested a total of 6,250 new full-time jobs could be created should the investment zone go ahead.

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