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Press Release

14 December 2023

Further funding for Welborne will be sought if needed

Leaders of both Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have confirmed their commitment to working together to secure additional funds, if necessary, for the M27 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme, to ensure that Welborne Garden Village remains on track.

The potential for a shortfall in funding was highlighted at a Hampshire County Council Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 12 December.

To date, £97.5M funding for the Junction 10 improvements has been secured for the project and, two years ago, this figure was deemed sufficient to cover the costs.

Two years on, with the country having been ravaged by inflation, it is anticipated that there may well be a shortfall. The provisional target price for the construction phase is expected to be known early next year and will be subject to formal acceptance by both the County Council as the delivery body and VolkerFitzpatrick, the contractor.

Cllr Seán Woodward, Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, said:

"The M27 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme is pivotal to the progression of Welborne and I continue to hold firm to the pledge made many years ago that not a brick will be laid until all of the infrastructure required is identified, we know where it is going and most importantly how it will be funded. Of course that funding was identified two years ago and was the result of a concerted effort from everyone involved and supported at the highest level.
"With 6,000 new homes, 6,000 jobs, a district and village centre, three primary schools, a secondary school, retail, health and community facilities and a hotel among its many benefits, Welborne Garden Village is the largest planned development in Hampshire and will make a vital contribution to Hampshire’s economy.
"Michael Gove in particular was extremely supportive when he visited Welborne earlier in the year and said that it must happen. Cllr Rob Humby and I will be jointly writing to Mr Gove with a view to meeting him to ask him to deliver on his pledge."

Councillor Rob Humby, Leader of Hampshire County Council, said:

“The Welborne Garden Village development represents substantial investment in the local area which will not only deliver much needed new homes but also bring significant economic growth and local regeneration. Subject to sufficient funding being in place, we remain committed to the delivery of the M27 Junction 10 improvement which will be an essential component of the supporting infrastructure for the Welborne development.
“An increase in the cost of construction materials generally is expected to have an impact on the cost of the project although we won’t know the full impact until we receive the revised target price from the contractor for review, which is expected in early 2024. Once known we will need to be assured that sufficient funding is available to cover the full delivery costs and any risks to which the County Council could be exposed. This may mean seeking additional funding from stakeholders or Government – before we can formally agree to continue as the delivery body for the junction improvements.
“We will be writing to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to seek his reassurance and continued support for the scheme.”

ENDS