DESPITE Basingstoke Festival now being over for another year, visions to keep the buzz going all year long are being put in place.

Members of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) have implemented the Enriching Lives: Culture at the Heart of our Community vision, which aims to make the arts, heritage and culture an integral part of the borough’s identity over the next 10 years.

The borough already has a reputation for celebrating local creativity, nurturing talent and a vibrant year-round programme of community events, public art and a lively cultural scene, but BDBC plans to further enhance this.

The hope is to create a lasting legacy and make the most of what is going on in the borough.

Building on six successful years of Basingstoke Festival, the vision was agreed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 11.

Cabinet member for housing, regeneration, arts and heritage, Cllr Terri Reid said: “It is amazing how much art and culture is created and enjoyed in the borough and this year’s festival showcased that more than ever.

From pop-up performances in a shop in Church Street to the first outdoor film screening in War Memorial Park, the breadth of new arts and culture created for the festival is continually growing.

“This strategy clearly sets out an aspiration to continue to develop the creative icons of the future. It aims to further enhance and develop our cultural significance, both locally and nationally, and make sure that everyone has a chance to benefit from the enrichment of everyday life that art and culture brings to the borough.”

One of the key points of the action plan is to focus on improving cultural facilities in Basingstoke town centre, including developing a creative arts hub in the Top of the Town to make best use of The Haymarket and the Willis Museum.