Talks ongoing to decide future of new M27 junction to serve new 6,000-home town

In December, a report revealed the council was “extremely unlikely” to meet the cost of junction 10 on the M27 which will provide access to the new Welborne development between Fareham and Wickham. The first 363 homes to be built at the site have just been given the green light by borough council planners, with some 6,000 eventually planned.

If the project is funded, it would be extended to an ‘all-ways’ junction as the current layout only allows drivers to join the M27 eastbound — towards Portsmouth — and leave it westbound.

However, in recent months, reports revealed that the Hampshire County Council, as the delivery body for Junction 10, would not have enough funding to proceed with the project and needed more help from stakeholders.

The report also said that the county council would write to stakeholders, including Homes England, Welborne Land Limited, Fareham Borough Council, the Department for Levelling Up Homes and Communities (DLUHC), National Highways, and the Department for Transport (DfT), saying extra funding was needed by the county council to continue as a delivery body into the building phase.

During the county council cabinet meeting on December 12, Tim Morton, assistant director of highways and transport, told members it was unlikely both organisations would provide further funding for the project as it would provide “very little benefit to the strategic road network”.

He said: “We had conversations with both organisations, and they both indicated that they are not willing to further support the project financially, other than the emergency refuge area that National Highways will fund.

“That doesn’t preclude us from continuing in dialogue with the Department of Transport and National Highways, should the need arise in the new year.”

Asking the county council about the junction’s status, the administration said that National Highways recently approved the technical design of the junction, yet conversations are still ongoing to determine whether the project can go ahead.

A spokesperson from Hampshire County Council said: “National Highways recently approved the technical design for the M27 Junction 10 project. However, further work is still needed to determine whether the project can proceed into construction, and discussions are ongoing with relevant government departments.”

In March, a Fareham Borough Council planning officer replied “yes” when asked if there was confidence the junction changes would happen.