A new public pathway will be created as part of a new 6,000-home development near Fareham.

The route is being created as part of the Welborne Garden Village and will provide a connection with Fareham Footpath 86, and the bridleway will continue south, then southwest, to a junction with Funtley Hill.

Hampshire County Council has approved the creation of the new 383-metre bridleway in the Government’s “first garden communities” development to provide the connection from the parish in Wickham to a junction with Funtley Hill.

READ MORE: The latest on Welborne Garden Village plans

The bridleway, a form of public right of way, will allow public access for walking, horse riding and cycling.

Welborne Garden Village will be Hampshire’s largest mixed-use development scheme of up to 6,000 new homes, supporting some 13,800 new residents. It will be built over 20 years.

Fareham Borough Council approved the construction of the first 474 homes out of a total of 700 expected in the first phase of the development, with permission for the village centre and a further 71 houses to be confirmed.

The development will also include a school, a doctor’s surgery, a hotel, a pub, and shops.

Welborne was among 14 new garden villages across England, which the Government announced in 2017 as part of a plan to create “distinct locations” rather than extensions to existing towns or villages.