The Hampshire and Solent region needs Southampton to do well, the city council’s leader has insisted.

Cllr Lorna Fielker said Southampton was an “important regional centre” and a “unique investment opportunity”.

Earlier this year, a Renaissance Vision master plan for the city centre was launched following collaborative work between the council, landowners and key partners from health, education, business and sport.

The vision has five priority project areas where focus is being put on regeneration.

These are West Bay, including the Toys R Us site, Mayflower Park and Royal Pier, Town Quay, Ocean Village and Itchen waterside.

Cllr Fielker stressed the importance of Southampton’s growth at an economic development-focused overview scrutiny and management committee meeting on Thursday, March 20.

The Labour local authority leader said: “We have got an elevator pitch as you would expect and what that elevator pitch says is we are a unique investment opportunity and we are open for business, we are that world-class port city and we are a really important regional centre and that’s something we need to keep talking about.

“The region needs Southampton to do well and so we need to make sure we are helping with that.”

The council leader said she was mind blown when she was told Southampton’s renaissance vision was “probably one of the biggest investment opportunities in Europe at the moment”.

Cllr Fielker added: “We know there is the immense potential for growth because we haven’t been doing enough of it in the past and where we have it has been quite piecemeal.

“What’s different this time compared to in the past because I think that’s always a valid question.

“Why will this plan deliver when previous ones haven’t?

“I think it is because we have a different relationship with the city now, so the renaissance vision is not a Southampton City Council vision, it is truly a Southampton vision.”

She said the vision was “coherent” and all major stakeholders in the city had bought into it.

Southampton was in a “really good place” and leaders needed to “keep selling that”, Cllr Fielker said.

“We need to keep talking about Southampton really positively and what I do believe as well is there will be a renewed sense of civic pride in Southampton as we start to bring some of these things forward,” Cllr Fielker said.

“People will see that actually we care and I think if we are showing as the major players in the city that we care then I think people will feel that care and love for Southampton again.”