Press Release

27 March 2023

Fareham Local Plan Meets Legal Requirements Following Planning Inspector Review

Fareham Borough Council is pleased to announce that its ‘Fareham Local Plan 2037’ has been found to be sound following its examination by the Government appointed Planning Inspector.

The Inspector, Helen Hockenhull, found that, subject to some changes, known as ‘Main Modifications’, the new Local Plan for the Borough satisfies all legal requirements and meets the four tests of soundness set out in national planning policy.

The report is now available on the Council’s website

Council members will now consider adopting the plan at a meeting next month. If adopted, the Fareham Local Plan 2037 would become part of the Council’s Policy Framework and would supersede both the Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy and Local Plan and Part 2: Development Sites and Policies to become the development plan for the Borough, alongside the Welborne plan.

The Local Plan clearly sets out the Borough’s development strategy for ‘good growth’, guiding where development is acceptable and where it is not, and provides an up-to-date suite of development management policies and specific site allocations to meet the Borough’s housing and employment needs.

Executive Member for Planning and Development Cllr Simon Martin said: “In creating the Local Plan, we have set out how the Borough can develop and grow sustainably to meet the future social, economic and environmental needs of our residents. I am pleased that the Inspector supported our position on all the main issues, as well as our arguments on the challenges we face in meeting nationally-set housing targets in an area so constrained for development due to its natural beauty. I am confident that members will adopt this plan as the Council worked with many interested parties, including neighbouring local authorities, statutory bodies and local communities and agencies to make is as robust as possible.”

Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Seán Woodward, added: “I am proud of the huge amount of work that has gone into producing this Local Plan, which not only establishes the most deliverable locations for providing the new homes demanded by the government, but also meets the real needs for employment and sets out where commercial development should take place. It also recognises the changing nature of our high streets and leisure needs and includes policies to respond positively to the changing trends and preferences in retail and community facilities. It does all this while safeguarding as far as possible the Borough’s natural assets and green spaces and protecting our most important historic environments.

“I know there are those, like me, who feel we are providing sites for too many new houses in the Borough but if we do not take the approach forced upon us then it will be developers and speculators, rather than local people, who will decide where the houses go as the government would simply allow appeals because we did not have an up-to-date Local Plan.”

ENDS