A CONTROVERSIAL 6,000-home housing development will become reality after councillors gave it the green light last night

The Welborne plan, which has faced heavy criticism from organised campaigning groups, was officially adopted as Fareham Council policy.

Now thousands of homes, as well as four schools, new infrastructure and 100,000 square metres of shops, will be constructed on land north of Fareham.

An independent inquiry, led by Government-appointed inspector David Hogger, resulted in the council being asked to make a number of modifications to the plan before it could be declared "sound".

Councillors were jeered at a meeting discussing Welborne earlier in the year but to the dismay of anti-Welborne campaigners the scheme was approved by Mr Hogger last month before being formalised.

David Walton, speaking on behalf of community groups, argued that the issue of Welborne is the biggest single issue Fareham has faced in 50 years.

Daily Echo:

Mr Walton said: "The last Fareham Council meeting to discuss Welborne clearly demonstrated that a number of councillors had little grasp of the issues and procedures involved and were simply voting on party political lines, regardless of the discussion and debate that took place on the night.

"People should be absolutely under no illusions - Fareham Council have chosen to take, without proper consultation, a very high-risk strategy on Fareham's future.

"In declaring the Welborne Plan sound the planning inspector appears unfortunately, to have succumbed to what was no doubt immense pressure from his political masters and has allowed a deeply flawed plan, regardless of the consequences, when patently the Welborne plan is anything but sound."

Questions were raised regarding the building of infrastructure around the new town, particularly a new junction on the M27 motorway, but council leader Seán Woodward has insisted that Mr Hogger's decision would make huge funding available.

And an adoption statement produced by Fareham Council argues that it has undertaken a "considerable" amount of consultation and public engagement including a public survey, speaking to young people, exhibitions of plans, and a six-week consultation of the inspector's suggested modifications.

The report adds that indicators and targets will be used to monitor the implementation of the Welborne plan on issues including traffic, air quality, and the number of homes delivered.

It says: "The potential positive sustainability effects of the proposed development, and the mitigation of potential negative effects, rely on the effective implementation of the policies as set out in the adopted Welborne Plan.

"The plan-making and the SA processes established that the Welborne Plan provided a sustainable and sound approach for implementing the development of a sustainable new community over the Plan period."

The panel voted 19 to four, for the ratification and there were two abstentions.