Following a meeting of the Executive on 1 December, Fareham Borough Council has confirmed plans to begin the initial stages of redevelopment at Melvin Jones House and St Marys Road Flats, in Stubbington. This will include submitting an application to demolish the buildings to prepare the site for regeneration.

The site was identified and added to the Fareham Housing Regeneration Strategy in November 2024. Since that decision, officers have been supporting residents to secure alternative housing of their choice, prior to the project progressing.

To enable progress of the project, officers recommended that the buildings be demolished without delay once the building is vacated, to mitigate the risks, health and safety concerns and costs associated with managing a vacant property. While the option of using St Marys Road flats as temporary accommodation was fully considered, the location, design, and layout of the units were deemed unsuitable for this purpose.

Fareham Housing will now prepare a planning application for this initial phase of demolition, ahead of submitting a further application for the full site redevelopment. The scheme will deliver affordable housing, providing homes for households on the Council’s Housing Waiting List or shared ownership properties, which are in high demand across the Borough.

Executive Member for Housing, Cllr Fred Birkett, said: “The inclusion of Melvin Jones House and St Marys Road Flats in the Fareham Housing Regeneration Strategy reflects the Council’s commitment to improving the quality of its housing stock. Once residents are successfully rehoused, progressing the demolition and clearance of the site will be a priority to make the site ready for future redevelopment in the near future.”

You can find more information at www.fareham.gov.uk/housing.