AN ongoing battle to ensure that 40 per cent of homes built on a new Basingstoke development are affordable is set to continue at an extraordinary meeting tonight.

Labour councillors Paul Harvey and David Potter have tabled a motion calling for the Conservative administration in control of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to reaffirm that it is committed to providing 40 per cent affordable housing on the proposed Manydown development.

The site is earmarked for 3,400 new homes between now and 2029.

As reported by The Gazette, councillors on the Manydown overview committee were told last month that it would be premature to make any promises on the level of affordable housing and it could leave them open to legal challenge.

An application to call-in the decision to allow the borough council’s scrutiny committee to debate the issue was also turned down earlier this month.

The fresh motion calls for the Tory administration to reaffirm that it is “committed” to delivering 40 per cent affordable housing on Manydown and as one of the landowners of the site to state to “existing or potential partners that this commitment is non-negotiable”.

Councillor Paul Harvey told The Gazette: “There is absolutely no reason why the borough council as landowner can’t commit to 40 per cent affordable housing and we will continue to push the agenda because we speak to so many people who say affordable housing is absolutely critical.

“As a borough council we should be setting an example and we should be using the opportunities that Manydown offers to secure truly affordable housing.”

But Cabinet member for property, finance and commissioning, Cllr John Izett, told The Gazette that the motion is "political mischief", adding: "This administration is fully supportive of delivering 40 per cent affordable homes on Manydown.

“This council is only a part owner of the land along with Hampshire County Council and the Manydown Company has an interest so it is quite inappropriate to seek to tie the hands of our partners before work has been done to assess the viability of providing 40 per cent affordable housing.”