Welborne 'garden village' homes development approved

The first residents could move in by late 2021, developers said

A proposed 6,000-home "garden village" has been approved in principle by council planners.

The Welborne development in Hampshire includes a redesign of Junction 10 of the M27, four schools and land reserved for a railway station.

It has been granted outline planning permission by Fareham Borough Council, which said a detailed scheme would be "finalised over the coming months".

The first residents could move in by late 2021, developers said.

Opponents have raised concerns about traffic and flooding

The scheme will be built on 1,000 acres (4 sq km) of mostly farmland north of Fareham.

People living in the nearby villages of Wickham, Funtley and Knowle have raised concerns about traffic and flooding.

The council said the new community included detailed plans for the motorway junction and other changes to the local road network.

It said the application from Buckland Development also included supporting shops, employment and open spaces.

The "garden village" would be built on land north of the M27

Councillor Nick Walker, in charge of planning, said: "The development will play a crucial part in delivering much-needed new homes for the borough, in a desirable new setting."

Buckland chairman Mark Thistlethwayte said: "Reaching this point has taken more than a decade of carefully considered work, resource and investment."

He said work was still needed to secure extra funding for the motorway junction change.

In January 2017, Welborne was confirmed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as one of 14 garden villages being built nationwide.