Following the purchase of Fareham Shopping Centre and adjoining properties in September, Fareham Borough Council is undertaking a period of engagement between now and next summer, firstly to understand what local people, residents, businesses and visitors would like to see and then to share early ideas and plans.
This will begin with an initial listening exercise between Wednesday 29 November and Wednesday 6 December. There are multiple ways to get involved across the week to help us shape the future of Fareham Town Centre:
- Public drop-in sessions:
- Saturday 2 December – 11am – 3pm: Delme Square (by Costa Coffee / Next) Fareham Shopping Centre
- Saturday 2 December – 11am – 3pm: Café area, Fareham Leisure Centre
- Monday 4 December – 9.30am – 12pm: Monday Market, Fareham Town Centre
- Online feedback: https://bit.ly/3Te0oNR
- Feedback ‘drop off’ points in the Library and Civic Offices, printed forms will be available.
Councillor Seán Woodward, Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, said: “This is a pivotal moment in Fareham’s progress, and we want local people and all our visitors to continue to feel proud of what it has to offer. Town centre regeneration is one of our key and by taking ownership of the shopping centre we have the opportunity to think about how we can enhance its appeal and create a vibrant, thriving place.
“This is a very important journey in our Town’s future and we want to hear from our community so that everyone is invested in the process. We are keen to understand the needs and aspirations of Fareham’s residents, businesses, shoppers and visitors alike. Fareham Town Centre already has a lot to offer and now is the time for us to build on all that is positive and make Fareham the best it can be.
The way people shop and what they use town centres for is changing. While Fareham Town Centre has a range of services and shops, there is also an increasing number of vacancies, particularly in the shopping centre itself. The layout of the shopping centre does not provide easy routes between Fareham Live (opening in 2024), the library, the health centre, Council offices and the shopping and entertainment offered in West Street and into Market Quay beyond.
A key early priority of the engagement process will be to understand what people like about the town centre, what you would change and determine what other uses – whether that be new homes or more office space – could be incorporated to increase footfall and support a night time economy. The findings from this and other engagement activities in the spring will then be used to inform a regeneration strategy and master plan in later next year.
To support in this process, Fareham Borough Council has recruited the experience of RivingtonHark who will lead on providing strategic town centre regeneration advice. They will be aided by Leslie Jones Architecture as master planner and Redwood Consulting who will be working alongside the Council to manage the community engagement process.
