Andover Business

County chamber gets go-ahead

2:41pm Thursday 11th March 2010

ONE chamber of commerce is set to be created for the whole of Hampshire.

Members of the Southampton and Fareham chamber this week voted unanimously to merge with neighbours, Portsmouth and South-East Hampshire, and the North Hampshire, both of whom had already decided in favour of the move.

Chamber bosses say the move will cut costs and give business a powerful voice at a regional level without diluting local services.

John Harrocks, chief executive of North Hampshire Chamber, which covers Winchester, has welcomed the move, saying that it will give the business community “more clout”

Existing members of the three chambers will automatically become members of Hampshire Chamber from the start of the new financial year.

The new county chamber will run shared services such as training and event organisation, but there will still be local boards, committees and events.

Under the merger, chamber staff will remain in post, but may by agreement change responsibilities during the first year of trading as Hampshire Chamber.

The existing North Hampshire offices at Basingstoke and Winchester will be retained, along with other offices in Southampton and Portsmouth.

Hampshire Chamber will have a new countywide members’ magazine and a single-access website.

While each chamber will keep a distinct local identity, the plan is to merge all activities and services under a single management structure by the end of the first year of trading.

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