FOR more than a year, a collection of eco-minded organisations have been quietly working behind the scenes to make the borough a greener place.

Founded and chaired by Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, the Sustainable Basingstoke Forum has big plans for its second year.

The team is made up of representatives of Greening Chineham, Old Down and Beggarwood Wildlife Group, Save Our Loddon Valley Environment, the Basingstoke Transition Network, Basingstoke Fairtrade Group, and the Basingstoke Alternative Action Group.

Mrs Miller said: “We have got lots of groups doing so much stuff here. The forum is helping them come together and identify where they can work together. It’s an action orientated group – I didn’t want it to be just a talking shop.”

Since launching in February 2012, the forum has played a leading role in a number of environmental projects.

In December, the Environmental Agency and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council said they would spend £50,000 installing River Loddon water monitoring devices at Old Basing. The announcement was the result of months of lobbying by the forum.

In 2013, the group plan to step up their campaign to make Basingstoke greener. First on the list is tackling the damaging amount of phosphates in a section of the River Loddon.

As previously reported, the levels of environmentally-toxic phosphates in the Loddon, are six times higher than an EU water quality directive allows.

Last year, Mrs Miller and the Basingstoke Transition group publically urged people to do their bit by switching to phosphate-free detergents.

This year, the forum is seeking to lower the “consent levels” of phosphates present in water that leaves Chineham sewage works.

“The river is a key area for action for us, and the consent levels,” said Mrs Miller. “It’s no good just reducing phosphates if the consent levels are still there.”

The group’s Loddon project is one of five different campaigns the forum is embarking on. Other plans include:

*“Basingstoke unwrapped”, which aims to reduce plastic packaging 

* “Natural Basingstoke” which looks to protect and better manage borough green spaces and woodlands 

* “Low carbon Basingstoke” aims to encourage better home insulation

* “Parched Basingtoke” which aims to promote ways to cut water consumption.