A CONTROVERSIAL new Hampshire housing development needs a £30m Government cash injection to go ahead, an MP says.

Suella Fernandes, the new Fareham MP, threw her weight behind the proposed 6,000-home Welborne development, earmarked for land north of Fareham.

It comes after the Daily Echo revealed the scheme has already cost more than £2 million.

The Conservative MP accepted the plan – already approved by local planners and the independent planning inspectorate – had been “controversial”.

But she argued during a Commons debate that it was vital for the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was to achieve its targets as houses were needed to accommodate the increase in the workforce.

But she added: “There is currently a £30m shortfall, but I hope that will be filled by central Government.”

The council approved its controversial scheme last month amid fierce opposition from campaigners who fear more traffic and loss of green space.

Thousands of homes, along with four schools, new infrastructure, and 100,000 square metres of shops will be constructed over the coming years.

Council leader Cllr Sean Woodward said Welborne was a £1 billion development and of that £300 million was infrastructure such as roads, the M27 junction 10 improvements and schools.

So far, developers will put in £200 million, another £50m comes from Fareham Borough Council through its New Homes Bonus for the Welborne scheme - money given to local authorities for approved housing - and £20m from the LEP.

This leaves £30m to find.

Cllr Woodward said he was confident Government would provide this as Welborne was on its top 20 list of developments it has said it will fund.

"We have always said we must identify the funding we need before we start building Welborne and we're nearly there and we haven't started and won't be building anything this year or probably next year," he added.

As previously reported, a Fareham Borough Council report shows since 2010/11 Welborne has cost a total of £2,237,141 though Cllr Woodward said the plan's development was funded through central Government.