Effective delivery of strategic sites: Fareham

Fareham Borough Council (FBC) dedicated an entire section of their local plan to policies related to the delivery of Welborne Garden Village, known as the ‘Welborne Plan’, in recognition of its strategic importance to delivering growth in the Borough.



Allocation and policy  

Fareham Borough Council (FBC) dedicated an entire section of their local plan to policies related to the delivery of Welborne Garden Village, known as the ‘Welborne Plan’, in recognition of its strategic importance to delivering growth in the Borough. Some 43 site specific policies, discrete from other planning policies in Borough.  

The local plan policies also reflect the complex land ownership provision which was present at the time of drafting (the site has since been acquired in majority by a single developer), as well as the requirement to deliver a new motorway junction to service the development.  

The Welborne Plan adopted in 2015 following a full examination in public, with comprehensive evidence base prepared. An Infrastructure Delivery Plan with estimated costings and land values was produced alongside planning policies to ensure policy aspirations were deliverable.  

Welborne Design Guidance Supplementary Planning Document was adopted by FBC in 2016. Both strategic and detailed design coding is required as part of the outline consent (see below). 


Outline planning application 

Single outline planning application for allocated site, submitted by Buckland Development Ltd. Application originally included significant portion of land outside Buckland Development Ltd control, which was acquired during application determination by sister company, Welborne Land Ltd.  

Application includes detailed access proposals from the A32 and improvements to M27 J10.  


Resources and skills  

In considering the proposals for Welborne Garden Village, FBC have ringfenced the outline application planning application fees to pay for two dedicated planning officers. These officers commit the vast majority of their resource and time to the Welborne Outline Planning Application.

Garden Village funding, received from Central Government, has been used to commission specific strategies related to the delivery of the Garden Village (including Community Formation Strategies, effectiveness and cost study for sustainability methods). This has been helpful in areas where skills and knowledge is specialist, and therefore not always available at the council, using this knowledge to guide future decision making.