No grounds for retail (From Basingstoke Gazette)

No grounds for retail

11:08am Friday 13th January 2012 in Letters

Sir.–I have to agree with the comments from your readers in The Gazette, December 15, regarding the proposal to build a new Basingstoke Town FC stadium.

Like the correspondents, I support the concept, but why is it proposed that the old football ground be redeveloped as retail units? Is there any sense in that? Are there not enough retail units in the area?

In this time of financial problems, growing unemployment, etc are there going to be customers to shop at such retail units?

Would it not be a more progressive and positive approach to build some affordable housing on the site – not high-rise blocks, but just some eco-friendly homes that will help address the current housing issues.

It seems that site would have plenty of facilities within easy reach for such homeowners – local shops (and a retail park), supermarket in Brighton Hill, schools, churches, etc. That would seem to be a more logical development than retail units.

–Allan J Palmer, Basingstoke.

Sir.–While wishing Basingstoke football club every success, I cannot believe retail development of the Camrose ground is even being considered.

The impact on local traffic would be chaotic using either the Western Way or Winchester Road access. The comparisons with the Tesco proposals, which are meeting resistance, are obvious.

Tesco proposed improvements to Brighton Hill Roundabout and the store is not close to existing housing, so how Tesco can be considered bad for other retailers while six major retailers on the Camrose can be an asset to existing traders I cannot understand.

–R J Smith, Stag Hill, Basingstoke.

Sir.– Does nobody at Basingstoke Town FC read the local paper? Most of the objections made about Tesco will apply to their plan too.

The Winchester Road and Brighton Hill Roundabouts will not cope with the increase in volume of traffic. Despite the fact that the proposed new entrance and exit into Winchester Road may be slightly better than the present one in Western Way, the traffic can only go one way along the dual carriageway to the next roundabout, passing houses and bungalows already affected by noise and pollution.

The rat runs that already exist through South Ham will get worse because drivers will not want to be held up at Brighton Hill Roundabout. Also, not enough consideration has been given to local residents whose properties back on to the football ground.

The proposed barriers are hardly adequate.

I agree that the football club will benefit from a new stadium but wouldn’t it be more sensible to build a complex of sheltered, warden controlled housing or, as a previous reader suggested, encourage some form of manufacturing, which is sadly lacking?

–Gina Oxer, Cobbett Green, Basingstoke.