A new lorry park and electric vehicle charging hub on the outskirts of Fareham in Hampshire has been given the go‑ahead despite fears it will have a negative impact on protected countryside. Members of the planning committee at Fareham Borough Council unanimously approved the scheme, which will be built on land north of junction 11 of the M27, says the Daily Echo.
The major project will include a 165‑space truck stop, a large public EV charging forecourt, and storage and operational land linked to Portsmouth International Port.
Currently, the site is open countryside on the side of Portsdown Hill and is being used as a highway depot and space for aggregate recycling.
In a report presented to committee members, planning officers admitted that the plans break key countryside policies and would harm the landscape, but they urged councillors to approve it and said the plans tabled by Electric J11 “provide infrastructure that meets an overriding public need”.
Officers said extra lorry parking, better facilities for HGV drivers, new space for the growing port, and a major EV charging hub together outweighed the damage to the landscape.
Several letters of support and objections were submitted to the council after the proposals were first submitted in March 2025.
One objector said they had “serious concerns” about the increase in haulage traffic approaching the motorway junction from Boarhunt Road. They said the road is “already problematic at busy times of the day” and feared this scheme would make the situation worse.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce said the large trailer park would be “extremely beneficial to the region” and would “support growth in Portsmouth”.
The decision comes as a rival scheme from Welcome Break to transform more than 30 acres of farmland to the south of the same junction into a service station is still on the table. That outline bid would create a traditional motorway service area with several food and drink outlets, almost 550 parking spaces, a children’s play area, and a dog‑walking zone
(Picture: Electric J11/Fareham Borough Council)
