A practical sequence of proposed steps for Fareham.
Short, medium and longer-term stages describe what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Costs, funding and powers must be established before adopting a proposal.
Proposal
Make the most of Fareham Live and existing businesses
Fareham Live is open and the evening walking route to West Street is permanent.
The town has something usable today while larger redevelopment plans progress.
Who could lead: Fareham Borough Council and local businesses.
- Start now — proposed
Check evening access, wayfinding and affordable community use.
- Next steps — proposed
Coordinate events and business opening hours using actual visitor patterns.
- Longer term — proposed
Publish whether visits benefit the wider centre as well as the venue.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Council record of completed 2024 venue and access works.
Measure: Venue use, community bookings, evening footfall and surrounding vacancy rates.
Trade-off: Events can bring noise and traffic; commercial success should not crowd out community access.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Fareham Live and the evening town-centre link →
Proposal
Keep services in step with Welborne homes
Welborne has its first residents while school and village-centre elements remain at different stages.
A home needs usable daily services and safe routes, not only a completed building.
Who could lead: Welborne developers, Fareham Borough Council, Hampshire County Council and relevant health providers.
- Start now — proposed
Publish a single dated schedule for homes, school places, shops, health provision and travel links.
- Next steps — proposed
Check each occupation phase against its agreed infrastructure triggers.
- Longer term — proposed
Measure access to everyday services and correct gaps as the community grows.
How to judge progress
Starting point: First occupations recorded in 2025; later infrastructure milestones separately listed.
Measure: Occupied homes, open facilities, school availability and safe walking/bus access.
Trade-off: Infrastructure before demand can be costly; delivering it late transfers inconvenience to residents.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Welborne: homes and a new community →
Proposal
Connect new business space to local opportunity
Welborne has approved business units and Swordfish has emerging proposals.
New floorspace could support jobs if employers occupy it and residents can reach the work.
Who could lead: Fareham Borough Council with developers, employers and Hampshire County Council.
- Start now — proposed
Separate occupied space, approved space and proposals in public reporting.
- Next steps — proposed
Link confirmed employers with local training and travel needs.
- Longer term — proposed
Track sustained local jobs and business survival after opening.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Welborne approval in May; Swordfish consultation in July 2026.
Measure: Occupied business units, local recruitment, apprenticeships and journey options.
Trade-off: Commercial demand and traffic effects may differ from promotional forecasts.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Welborne: first employment park phase →
Daedalus: Swordfish Business Park →
Proposal
Avoid a gap between a masterplan and a working town centre
Town-centre redevelopment is still presented as emerging proposals in the reviewed update.
Businesses and residents need viable phases and day-to-day access throughout change.
Who could lead: Fareham Borough Council.
- Start now — proposed
Publish the latest decision, finance, land and planning requirements for each phase.
- Next steps — proposed
Test smaller deliverable phases while retaining shop access and useful public space.
- Longer term — proposed
Review costs, occupancy and resident use before expanding the programme.
How to judge progress
Starting point: February 2026 engagement and application sequence.
Measure: Confirmed approvals, funded phases, occupied homes/premises and access during works.
Trade-off: A bigger scheme may bring more benefits but also greater financial exposure and disruption.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Fareham: town-centre redevelopment →
Fareham Live and the evening town-centre link →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,176 a month (August 2026) in Fareham council area. This is £283 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.4% in Uplands & Funtley to 22.5% in Fareham Town — a gap of 16.1 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Fareham Town and Uplands & Funtley; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £1,176 a month (August 2026) in Fareham council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 6.4% in Uplands & Funtley to 22.5% in Fareham Town — a gap of 16.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 16 of 16 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Welborne: homes and a new community →
Welborne: first employment park phase →
Fareham: town-centre redevelopment →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
24.5% of people in Fareham council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14.5% in Sarisbury & Whiteley to 33.2% in Hill Head — a gap of 18.8 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Hill Head and Sarisbury & Whiteley; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 24.5% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 14.5% in Sarisbury & Whiteley to 33.2% in Hill Head — a gap of 18.8 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 16 of 16 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Fareham council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.1% in Sarisbury & Whiteley to 5.7% in Fort Fareham — a gap of 3.5 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Fort Fareham and Sarisbury & Whiteley; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 4% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.1% in Sarisbury & Whiteley to 5.7% in Fort Fareham — a gap of 3.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 16 of 16 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
33.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Fareham council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7.2% in Sarisbury & Whiteley to 18.3% in Portchester Wicor — a gap of 11.1 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Portchester Wicor and Sarisbury & Whiteley; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 33.4% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7.2% in Sarisbury & Whiteley to 18.3% in Portchester Wicor — a gap of 11.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 16 of 16 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Welborne: first employment park phase →
Fareham: town-centre redevelopment →
Fareham Live and the evening town-centre link →
Daedalus: Swordfish Business Park →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Fareham council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
5 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Welborne: homes and a new community →
Welborne: first employment park phase →
Fareham: town-centre redevelopment →
Fareham Live and the evening town-centre link →
Daedalus: Swordfish Business Park →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 6.7% in Sarisbury & Whiteley to 19.4% in Fort Fareham — a gap of 12.7 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Fort Fareham, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 6.7% in Sarisbury & Whiteley to 19.4% in Fort Fareham — a gap of 12.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 16 of 16 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Welborne: homes and a new community →
Welborne: first employment park phase →
Fareham: town-centre redevelopment →
Fareham Live and the evening town-centre link →
