THE site of Southampton’s soon-to-close Ford plant could retain its use for manufacturing, as well as housing, city boss Simon Letts believes.

The leader of the city council also says he hopes to double the £500,000 “legacy” community fund set up by Ford before the closure of its Southampton plant.

The last vehicles will roll out of the transit plant in Swaythling this week ahead of its closure on Friday, bringing to an end a 60-year relationship between the city and the car giant.

Production will switch to a new plant in Turkey, but Ford will maintain its presence in Southampton by opening a vehicle distribution centre and refurbishment centre at the docks.

As previously reported, Ford has pledged £500,000 to support community projects, local employment opportunities and education initiatives in the city.

Plant manager John Oldham told the Daily Echo the fund could help youngsters seeking employment to get jobs in the city – and now Cllr Letts says he hopes the Government can help double the amount of money.

As part of the City Deal bid, which could bring thousands of jobs and investment worth millions of pounds to the city, Cllr Letts has requested Whitehall match-fund the pot of money put aside by Ford.

A decision is due in November.

He said: “The idea of the fund is to leave a legacy in the city where there is a fund for development which can be spent on young people and have a positive impact on young people and what they want to achieve.”

Speaking ahead of Friday’s closure, he said: “The closure is significant because Ford has been here for decades, and thousands and thousands of Southampton families have got a good standard of living from working for Ford.

“We’ve now got two challenges – firstly what happens to the people that work there, and secondly what we can do with the site.

“It is one of the best-located, logistics sites in the country with its road, rail and air links, and we should be able to get it economically active in a short space of time.”

He believes the site will eventually become a mixed-use development containing advanced manufacturing or logistics and some housing at the car park area of the site.

He said the council will help Ford to market the site.