As a completely new development Fareham Labour see’s Welborne as an opportunity for Fareham Borough Council and developers to avoid mistakes we have seen develop in other ‘self-contained’ developments.
We have asked that the provision for affordable and social housing be increased to at least 50% percent of the overall development, of which we would like to see 30% kept as affordable to rent properties. This Amendment will make sure Welborne continues to provide housing for those in need over the coming years. The CLP also asks that these houses be mixed throughout the development to ensure a decent living environment for all residents of Welborne.
Furthermore, we are putting pressure on the council at this early stage to designate Welborne as a Living Wage zone. We want to see the retail units and industrial park occupied by employers willing to pay their workers a living wage, as set by the Living Wage Foundation. We believe this would put Welborne at the forefront of a new economic plan for Fareham, providing a model for decent employment for the modern age.
As you can see from our full consultation our support for the development is not carte blanche. As a CLP we have asked that the plan be amended, with special reference to the need to provide a GP’s surgery and NHS Dental practice at the proposed Health Hub and that all schools built in the new development should be under council authority.
Fareham Labour Party Chair, Matt Randall said “Fareham CLP will continue over the coming months, and years, to hold the council and the developers to account in their promise to make Welborne a ‘self-contained’ community within Fareham.”