WORK to build a new village in the Hampshire countryside has been given the go ahead.

The major scheme will involve 3,500 new homes plus schools and community centres. will now get underway.

It will see the North Whiteley area of the county transformed following the planning permission by Winchester City Council.

As well as providing thousands of homes, the development will also include a secondary school, two primary schools, a nursery and two community centres.

The scheme will also include playing fields, open spaces and protected wildlife corridors.

The project will see improvements to the infrastructure in the area, including major spine roads to link into Botley Road to the north and significant improvements to Whiteley Way from the shopping centre down to junction 9 of the M27.

Winchester City Council leader and portfolio holder for housing Cllr Caroline Horrill has hailed the scheme, which will provide a key housing location for the Winchester district and will deliver a significant proportion of the 12,500 new homes planned in the city council’s adopted Local Plan.

Cllr Horrill said: “This is fantastic news. It will provide much-needed homes in a sought after location offering an excellent town centre, a wide range of facilities and employment opportunities at Solent Business Park, all within close proximity to important transport links. This administration is prioritising the building of new homes so local people have greater choice in terms of affordable housing and this is a great step forward for the district.”

As previously reported, the scheme will be built by a group of developers, who are part of the North Whiteley Consortium; they include Taylor Wimpey, Bovis Homes, JGP Lakedale and Crest Nicholson.

The development had been subject to delays due to disagreements over how much the consortium would contribute in their legal planning agreement with Winchester City Council, as well as a deferred decision over £20m of funding to improve junction 9 of the M27.

In November, a meeting of the North Whiteley Development Forum heard developers would implement a phased approach over 12 to 15 years as part of a £78m investment. Construction of the homes had been forecast to get underway in June, with the schools and nursery expected to open by 2025, along with a small number of shops, allotments, and sports pitches.