Campaigners launch homes fight (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Campaigners launch homes fight
1:40pm Friday 1st January 2010 in
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to stop massive housing developments from threatening the countryside east of Basingstoke.
A residents’ group, which has formed under the banner of Save our Loddon Valley Environment (SOLVE), has launched a petition opposing proposals for 10,000 homes in the Loddon Valley to meet ambitious Government housing plans.
The area adjoins Old Basing, Chineham and Newnham.
SOLVE chairman Kate Tuck, 46, of The Street, Old Basing, said: “There is very much a concern locally about the way any development would affect not only the River Loddon and the wildlife, but the village area and its way of life.
“It would be like adding a whole new town the size of Tadley next to Old Basing.
“We don’t want to be adversarial and it is not that we are against any development, but we think this is the wrong place.”
The petition, which currently has 250 signatures, will be handed over at a Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council planning and infrastructure overview and scrutiny committee meeting at the Civic Offices on Tuesday.
Councillors at this meeting will debate the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), which outlines areas proposed for development.
The SOLVE petition claims housing plans in the Loddon area are wrong because:
- They fly in the face of the Environment Agency which advises against building homes by the Loddon because of flooding risk.
- They would threaten the unique natural benefits of the valley and its world famous chalk stream.
- Roads, sewers, water and power supplies could not cope with a significant surge in population.
Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, who has signed the petition, said: “Local residents are increasingly concerned about levels of pollution in the River Loddon.”
The MP has backed a new flood and water management bill that would hold councils and other local authorities responsible if local rivers are damaged by “unsustainable levels of house building”.
You can sign the petition by visiting petitiononline.com/ SOLVE2/petition.html.
Comments(4)
Town Guard
says...
6:31pm Fri 1 Jan 10
As always before you vote Conservative, read the small print.
basingstoketown
says...
6:56pm Fri 1 Jan 10
seapeelie
says...
8:02am Sat 2 Jan 10
The 'town' has seen massive redevelopment over the last 30 years, perhaps it is someone else's turn.
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basingstoketown says...
2:49pm Fri 1 Jan 10
It is nice to see that our beloved MP can sign a petition, but it just goes to show that area DOES count. Remember Chineham Park School and her unwillingness to comment. Whilst all issues are important, it shows that our MP holds some in higher priority than others.
Maria, could you also come out against the proposed Lemon Land development bordering Norden please - or will there be a lack of comment about this as well. There are major infrastructure issues about this development.
If there is no support it will confirm what I and many others like me suspect - that you are MP for the villages and not inner & town centre Basingstoke. It would smack of typical Tory pandering to the wealthy and better off with no thought for the 'underlings'.