Post-War Town Centre Redevelopment

1960

The 1960s and 1970s saw significant redevelopment of Fareham town centre, part of the wider pattern of post-war modernisation that transformed many British market towns. The pedestrianisation of the High Street and the construction of Fareham Shopping Centre (opened 1975) were the most visible changes. The shopping centre provided covered retail space on the eastern side of the High Street, with a multi-storey car park. Some older buildings were demolished to make way for the new development, including properties that dated from the Georgian and Victorian periods. The redevelopment was typical of its era: functional, concrete-framed, and designed primarily for efficient retail rather than architectural distinction. The pedestrianisation of the High Street was more successful, creating a pleasant shopping environment that has endured. The period also saw the construction of the civic offices and the remodelling of the area around West Street. The changes were not universally popular. As with many towns that underwent similar redevelopment, there is a sense that something was lost in the process, particularly the older buildings that gave the town centre its pre-war character. The shopping centre has since been refurbished, and more recent regeneration efforts have tried to address the harder edges of the 1970s development.