Plans for the next steps in a major regeneration to bring Fareham town centre back to life by improving connectivity and public spaces, as well as building homes, have been laid out.

But Fareham’s borough councillors are concerned about spending money on creating a masterplan at a time when their residents are strapped for cash and when the council could be abolished. 

A policy and resources scrutiny panel recommended that the executive presses ahead with the council’s town centre regeneration plans – costing more than £1 million.

The council wants to reverse the decline of Fareham town centre.

It added the council’s investment in the town’s future is evident with its purchase of the Fareham shopping centre and Birks Building, opening Fareham Live, and converting Osborn Road’s multi-storey car park into surface parking.

Current projects and future plans are divided into seven areas: improving connectivity in the town and revitalising the town, improving the historic High Street, Trinity and West Street Shopping, shopping centre and Fareham Live, pedestrianising West and Market Quay to make a destination place and reutilising the waterfront.

The council officer said the masterplanning work would see the scheme reach a planning phase with a design concept and costing for the masterplan being produced. An outline business case and an economic impact assessment will be delivered.

There will be a car parking review, with access and safety around the town, as well as ones for buses and pedestrians, they added.

When asked about any key milestones for the masterplan by Councillor David Hamilton (Lib Dem, Wallington and Downend), members were told that a programme was the next step.

Councillor Friar Burgess (Con, Hook-with-Warsash) said the ‘here and now’ is important, and the council should move forward with town centre plans. But she also said it is uncertain if the council will still have the same control if it is abolished in local government reorganisation plans.

She said: “Communication to residents will play a key role.” The execution of town centre plans and projects over the next 18 months to two years come at the same time as residents still wrangle with the cost of living crisis.

The next phase of the strategy for 2025/26 has been created using feedback from hundreds of residents and businesses. 

The £1,050,000 million is funded by £824,0000 land sales from the council-owned Daedalus site and £226,000 from council budgets.

During the meeting, Councillor Kay Mandry (Con) said her residents from Hill Head could not get to Fareham Live for evening shows if they didn’t have a car and wanted some kind of bus service. 

Councillor Hamilton also questioned the future security cost of the north-south route through the shopping centre to Fareham Live and was told by an officer that this would be looked at in phase two to find solutions.