WORK is underway to plan for what is on the horizon for Basingstoke and Deane in the second half of the century.

Horizon 2050, an event that was organised by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC), saw councillors, council officers businesses, residents, community and voluntary groups, come together at DeskLodge in Basing View on October 17.

The group gathered views on what the long-term future of the town should look like.

In the new year, these initial thoughts will go out to wider public consultation to hear from more residents, businesses and those with an interest in seeing the area thrive after the first half of the century.

The results from this consultation will inform the development of the vision for Horizon 2050, which is due to be adopted by the council and its partners in 2018.

Chair of the Basingstoke Strategic Partnership, and Basingstoke College of Technology principal, Anthony Bravo said: “Basingstoke and Deane is a great place to live today thanks to the vision and bold long-term decisions taken in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, which brought well thought-out infrastructure and facilities.

“We now face similar choices about the future and want to involve as many people as possible in setting a clear vision and framework for making good decisions about what is important and right for the future of the borough.”

BDBC leader Cllr Clive Sanders, said: “Predicting the future is uncertain and complex, but Horizon 2050 aims to build on the shared commitment to create the very best borough we can. It is no good the council drawing up a vision on its own.

“The vision is not about where new facilities, homes and roads should go, but about what sort of a place we want the borough to be and what we need in place to get there.

“This needs to be a plan made for the community by the community.

“It was great to see the creative and imaginative ideas coming out of the RSA event hosted at DeskLodge at this initial stage of engagement.”