Borough of Fareham
The Borough of Fareham is a local government district with Borough [status in the United Kingdom|borough] status in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Fareham. Other places within the borough include Portchester, Hill Head, Sarisbury, Stubbington, Titchfield and Warsash. The borough covers much of the semi-urban area between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation. The neighbouring districts are Eastleigh, Winchester, Portsmouth and Gosport. The district's southern boundary is the coast of the Solent.
History
The town of Fareham was governed by a local board of health from 1849. Such local boards were reconstituted as urban district councils in 1894. The parish and urban district of Fareham was significantly enlarged in 1932 when the neighbouring parishes of Crofton, Hook with Warsash, Portchester, Sarisbury and Titchfield were abolished.Fareham Urban District was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The reformed district was awarded borough status at the same time, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.
Governance
Fareham Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Hampshire County Council. There are no civil parishes in the borough, which is an unparished area.Political control
The council has been under Conservative majority control since 1999.Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Fareham. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1995 have been:Composition
Following the 2024 Fareham Borough [Council election|2024 election] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:The next election is due in May 2026.