MORE than 150 business people from Christchurch and East Dorset heard about plans for economic growth in the area.

Christchurch and East Dorset councils held the first event at Highcliffe Castle, where guests heard from Jimmy Cregan, founder of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, based in Airfield Way in Christchurch.

Jimmy told of the ethos behind his business and how he was building up his customer base to get his products in as many suitable retail outlets as possible across the country.

The second event was held at Dudsbury Golf Club where the speaker was Andrew Murray from Manchester Airports Group, who talked about the expansion of the business parks at Bournemouth Airport.

Verwood Hub was the venue for the third event, which featured a presentation by Anna Rosier, managing director of Organix, a manufacturer of natural baby foods that started life in Christchurch before expanding to premises in Bournemouth.

Gordon Page, chairman of Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), spoke about the Dorset Growth Deal, which has secured more than £66m from the government’s Local Growth Fund to support economic growth in the area.

It includes a package of transport schemes to unlock growth at Bournemouth Airport and a major renewal of the A338 spur road.

Cllr Claire Bath, portfolio holder for the economy at Christchurch Borough Council, said: “Our plan is designed to create the right conditions for economic growth in the area and we are engaging widely with local businesses to make sure our proposed investments meet the needs of our business community.

“Achieving sustainable economic growth is a top priority for us.

“Revenue streams from central government to local councils have been dramatically cut and funding is increasingly driven by competitive bids and revenue streams that aim to grow the local economy.

“By working in partnership with businesses and organisations like the Dorset LEP we will win funding to support the growth of our local economy.”