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Fareham Borough Council has plans to reverse the decline of Fareham Town Centre by driving its regeneration, recognising the wider placemaking, economic and community benefits that could be delivered by a reconsideration of the scale and function of the retail offer and parking provision, as well as new homes and improved leisure.
In September 2023, the Council acquired Fareham Shopping Centre, long acknowledged to be the key missing element in its existing Town Centre Regeneration Vision.
The Council is working on a new Regeneration Strategy and Masterplan for Fareham Town Centre, which will take into account commercial sensitivities, community aspirations and the need to maintain a thriving shopping centre in the heart of the Town Centre.
The Council's Corporate Strategy 2023-2029 includes a clear commitment to the regeneration of Fareham Town Centre, prioritising activities to create a vibrant, attractive environment and recognising the town centre's importance in providing a community focus and delivering local economic growth.
In 2017, the Council published its vision for the Town Centre: Planning for the Future of Fareham Town Centre. This set out the Council's ambitions to provide more homes, cultural and leisure facilities and improve pedestrian access and safety.
Six years on, work has commenced in the Civic Quarter, with the redevelopment of Ferneham Hall and the Osborn Road multi-storey car park. The acquisition of Fareham Shopping Centre is the catalyst for a renewed Fareham Town Centre Regeneration Strategy and Masterplan to promote development and attract investment to the Town Centre.
The Council already has an adopted Local Plan Policy BL1 'Broad Location for Housing Growth', which identifies that, through the 'comprehensive mixed-use redevelopment of the area, including a consolidated, varied, and integrated retail and leisure offer', the town centre can deliver up to 620 new dwellings, in addition to improved accessibility and public realm in the town centre. It makes a public commitment that the Council will lead the development and delivery of a Town Centre Regeneration Supplementary Planning Document as part of the wider regeneration framework.
The Council is investing over £30m of funding to support the regeneration programme in Fareham Town Centre. As well as the acquisition of the shopping centre, major investments are currently in progress with the development of Fareham Live and the planned demolition of Osborn Road multi-storey car park in favour of a new surface car park. The Town Centre Regeneration Strategy and Masterplan will connect these developments and those planned by other key landowners to drive a further programme of regeneration investment.
To support in this process, Fareham Borough Council has recruited the experience of RivingtonHark who will lead on providing strategic town centre regeneration advice. They will be aided by Leslie Jones Architecture as masterplanner and Redwood Consulting who will be working alongside the Council to manage the community engagement process.
Extensive community engagement is planned, beginning in late November 2023.