A LOCAL group will be set up to improve transport across Basingstoke following the submission of the draft Local Plan.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller held a transport summit at the Basingstoke Country Hotel, in Hook, last Friday, which saw transport providers including South West Trains, First Great Western and Stagecoach meet to discuss how public transport in the town could be improved.

Representatives from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council were also in attendance as well as Geoff French, the chair of the M3 Local Enterprise Partnership, and Heather Rainbow from the Basingstoke Cycling Group.

At the meeting, it was agreed that transport representatives from the borough council would lead the transport group as it works to improve transport in Basingstoke following the submission of the draft Local Plan.

The draft Local Plan sets out where and when new homes will be built across the borough over the next 15 years.

Maria Miller told The Gazette: “In January, there was an extensive meeting about the impact of transport in the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) region and I want to see that thinking on a local level.

“As the town grows it has become increasingly important to be able to co-ordinate the different needs of transport so that people can have more options on how they can get out, not only relying on cars, and being able to rely more on public transport.

“It is important that the group is starting to work quickly because we have already secured a significant level of investment in roads and it is important that their planning is co-ordinated so plans to improve the capacity on roads goes alongside plans to improve other transport services as well.”

Mrs Miller called for increased investment in rail infrastructure for the main line running between Basingstoke and London at the meeting, including signalling improvements and the potential to use double-decker buses on the line to increase capacity.

She added: “When it comes to investment in rail, we need to be working hard to see how we can squeeze more out of the existing network through increased length of trains and I want to see everything done to squeeze more out of the existing network such as changes in signalling and anything that can help the reduction of overcrowding at peak times.

“But, in the long term, to achieve a 60 per cent increase in capacity, it is going to require structural investment and that needs to be the plan now.

“There were all sorts of ways to increase the capacity on the main line which is key for Basingstoke. There are plenty of ideas on the table and I think what is important now is that we make it clear that we need to see investment in railways and an increase in capacity.”