Target of 9,500 new homes by 2027

Development strategies for Basingstoke and Deane borough underline need for parish plans to protect greenfield sites

NORTH Hampshire councillors have given a mixed reaction to

claims that the borough council's draft housing strategy puts green field sites across the borough at risk from development.

Liberal Democrat borough councillor for Whitchurch, Keith Watts, is lobbying the Conservative-led Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to change tack on its proposed Local Development Framework, (LDF) which outlines proposed sites for development across the borough until 2027, with a total 9,500 homes to be built by then.

Mr Watts said he didn't believe the LDF would be accepted by the Secretary of State, or planning inspectors, as it failed to meet government aspirations for housing numbers:

“At a basic level, it will not provide decent housing for our residents and their children,” said Mr Watts.

He said several cases, including the Boundary Hall site in Tadley - a large site approved for development by the Government earlier this year, proved that development would be favoured by planning inspectors, especially if planning policies were viewed as weak:

“It is clear that this will be repeated if the draft Local Development Framework is flawed or rejected.

That will mean greenfield sites all over the borough will be at risk,” said Mr Watts, while calling upon the Conservatives to release land at Manydown, 200 acres of farmland west of Basingstoke, with potential to build thousands of homes.

At a recent meeting of Tadley town council's highways and planning committee, council chairwoman, Jo Slimin, said Tadley's greenfield sites were unlikely to be at risk, after development plans for the Boundary Hall site, to provide over 100 houses in the town, had been approved.

“I read something that villages will be able to allocate land for affordable housing and bring developers in, but I don't think we are in that position, we have very little land available (in Tadley),” said Mrs Slimin.

At a meeting of Burghclere Parish Council on Monday evening, borough councillor, John Izett (Con, Burghclere, Highclere and St Mary Bourne) said the LDF proposals were still "up in the air at the moment."

“What does seem important is the need for parish plans,” said Mr Izett, while warning if such plans were “absent or out of date” then development was likely to be favoured.

With a public consultation on the proposed sites likely in early February, details of the proposals for the LDF can be found at: www.basingstoke.gov.uk

The borough council's cabinet was due to decide on proposals to build 594 houses per year across the borough at a meeting last Tuesday evening (Sep 27). However the meeting was postponed, as it was not quorate and until October 17.