Buckland Development Limited is behind the scheme for the new community at Welborne just north of Fareham.

BDL’s Chairman, Mark Thistlethwayte, said: “This represents years of hard work and effort from BDL and our extensive team of technical consultants – it will set the framework for future development.

“Ours is a very different approach to development, centred on a consistent, long- term vision with investment and delivery ahead of short term financial returns.

“This project is about more than just meeting local housing targets – we want to create an exemplar, sustainable garden community for the 21st century, with the facilities and infrastructure to serve future generations within Welborne and the wider area.

“ Our hope now is that Fareham Borough Council will support our application and positively engage with us in order that we can focus on working together to provide the new homes, jobs and facilities that the area needs and at the soonest opportunity.”

Patrick Clarke, Director, AECOM, who has led the masterplanning on Welborne for BDL since 2008, said: “Our masterplan combines the principles that inspired the UK’s original and ever popular Garden Cities with best practice design approaches appropriate for today’s context.

“We have integrated the best of the built and natural environments for Welborne’s future residents and our plans lay the foundation for a place that will mature and improve over the long term.

“Creating an enduringly popular place where people will want to live, work and visit has remained BDL’s primary ambition throughout the project’s development.”

In addition to 6,000 new homes, Welborne will include a village and district centre with a variety of retail, commercial and employment uses, plus primary and secondary schools, healthcare facilities, and extensive green infrastructure with sports pitches, public open spaces, parks and woodland.

The plans would also deliver major infrastructure improvements for the area, including upgrade works to the A32, new distributor roads within the development and improvements to Junction 10 of the M27 motorway.

Delivery of these improvements is envisaged for the early stages of the development with the combined support of public sector and private sector developer contributions.

Work on-site could begin as early as the second half of 2018, with the whole project anticipated to take more than 20 years to complete.