Background

What is the South Hampshire sub-region?

The South Hampshire sub-region is illustrated on the map below. It includes the unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, the Borough Councils of Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, southern parts of the City Council of Winchester and the District Councils of Test Valley and East Hampshire and the eastern part of the New Forest district.

What is TfSH?

The South Hampshire sub-region is already important economically. Its two ports (Southampton and Portsmouth) and international airport (Southampton) make South Hampshire a transport gateway between the UK and other countries and an important centre for defence, aerospace, automotive, marine and other industries. An organisation called Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) was created in 2003 to plan for continued economic growth in the area and to make sure that this economic success is supported by adequate housing, facilities and services.

As several of the roads in the sub-region, such as the M3 and M27, already suffer from congestion during peak hours, Transport for South Hampshire (TfSH) was set up in 2007 to create a transport strategy for the area which will help solve current transport problems and also allow for future growth. This is achieved by projects such as the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system, which will initially be developed in Fareham and Gosport as a bus-only link along a disused railway corridor; improvements such as this aim to encourage people to travel by public transport rather than by private car.

How will TfSH help?

As an important part of the PUSH economic strategy is to improve quality of life for South Hampshire residents, TfSH takes a three-part approach (reduce, manage, invest) which aims to plan transport solutions which will have a minimal impact on the environment.

Who is involved in TfSH?

TfSH is comprised of officers from Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council. Decisions are made by a Joint Committee which meets quarterly and is made up of council Members (it is led by County Councillor Mel Kendal, Executive Member for the Environment), officers from the three councils and other partners. TfSH is also supported by a partnership of government bodies and businesses.