Southampton leaders fly to Cannes in bid to woo MIPIM investors

Council chiefs and business leaders are flying to the annual MIPIM conference - dubbed the world's biggest property fair - in the hope of securing huge amounts of investment.

Influential players from the world of real estate gather in Cannes every year to discuss opportunities to shape the future of cities and regions.

Organisers say the four-day event offers unrivalled access to development projects and sources of capital.

An artist's impression of the proposed development on the Leisure World site.

This year's conference, which begins on Tuesday, coincides with moves to redevelop more than 20 acres of Southampton's commercial heartland.

Plans to transform the Bargate Quarter, the Leisure World area and the site formerly occupied by Toys R Us aim to provide 2,000 jobs and 1,750 homes, plus three hotels and more than 525,000 sq ft of new commercial space.

READ MORE: Hampshire man goes to Ukraine to fight against Russian army

The city council is one of several organisations from the region - marketed as Central South - that will be setting out their stall at MIPIM.

Council leader Daniel Fitzhenry said the authority was looking forward to showcasing Southampton as part of its drive to secure billions of pounds of investment.

How the current Toys R Us site could look in the future.

He added: “We have an incredibly exciting opportunity ahead of us with our freeport and City of Culture bid.

"We now want to unlock this opportunity by putting our city on a global map to create the jobs, homes and income to take our city forward."

Royston Smith, Tory MP for Southampton Itchen, added: "Southampton and Central South have huge potential.

"Bringing developers, businesses and local authorities together will help us to showcase the opportunities which could lead to redevelopment of our major sites, creating more jobs and leisure activities for local people."

The proposed new Bargate Quarter.

Tim Hancock, chairman of Business South Regenerate South group Terence O’ Rourke, said: "The MIPIM conference is the most important property event in the world.

"As the economy recovers from the pandemic, it is vital that the Central South is represented at this important event to showcase the fantastic economic and environmental assets of our region and to highlight the significant opportunities for investment in key development and regeneration projects.”

Gavin Hall, head of the Southampton office of property firm Savills, added: "The presence of Central South will significantly raise the profile of our region on the global property stage.”

Cllr Fitzhenry will be joined at MIPIM by two council officers, including economic developer manager Matthew Hill.