Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Fareham’s top councillors have hit out at the government for ‘moving the goalposts’ and ‘vacillations’ when setting housing targets.

Fareham Borough Council is consulting the public on modifications made to its local plan as recommended by government planning inspectors.

A local plan is a document that outlines development proposals and policies which shapes the future vision of the area.

The planning inspector recommended changing housing delivery targets, recalculating affordable housing need and decreasing targets for Welborne Garden Village.

A CGI illustration of the proposed Welborne garden village.

Leigh Park dog attack: Police announce dog owner Lisa Garner, 45, has been charg...

Speaking to the executive members on Monday Councillor Sean Woodward, leader of the council said: ‘This has taken a significant number of years for what was an early review of the local plan that we adopted seven years ago and of course, the sands have shifted, the goalposts have moved, every metaphor that you can think of has happened in terms of housing numbers.

‘We’ve had to consult, tear up, consult, tear up and now get to the position we’re in this evening.

‘I might be being brave but I think that we are very much on course for a local plan that will be found sound and we will be in a position to adopt it early next year but before that, we just have this process of consulting on the modifications.’

Cllr Simon Martin, executive member for planning and development added: ‘It has been a protracted process thanks to the vacillations of the government - there have been five consultations which started in 2017.

‘The decision was made in 2021 to redo the local plan following the submission of the consultation approach using the 2018 housing growth figures that were put forward by the government.

‘Three days before the end of the consultation the government decided to change and revert it back to 2014 figures which effectively resulted in tearing up the local plan and restarting and adding a significant number of new sites.

‘There have been recent reports of a desire to get rid of the top-down approach to housing numbers.

‘Whilst planning reform will probably or may probably happen over the coming years, we don’t have enough certainty on what might be coming through - to wait for that particular ship to sail into the harbour is not the right thing to be doing.’

The modifications to the local plan will be debated at the next full council meeting on October 27.

The public consultation period will run from October 31 to December 12.

Government under fire for 'moving the goalposts' over housebuilding at Fareham Borough Council meeting

‘Whilst planning reform will probably or may probably happen over the coming years, we don’t have enough certainty on what might be coming through - to wait for that particular ship to sail into the harbour is not the right thing to be doing.’