A FRESH call to provide a specific amount of affordable homes on a new Basingstoke development has been defeated.

The deputy leader of the borough’s Labour group, Councillor Paul Harvey, and Labour councillor for Popley East, David Potter, presented the motion at a full council meeting last Thursday calling for the Conservative-led administration in control of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to commit to providing 40 per cent affordable homes at Manydown, and for this to be “non-negotiable” with any existing or potential partners.

Cllr Paul Harvey pleaded with councillors to vote in favour to “show the commitment to residents who sold their council houses”, adding: “This is not about making shed loads of money for companies. If we cannot commit to this on public owned land, how do we expect private developers to do it on their own land?”

Cllr David Potter added: “The MEC (Manydown executive committee) said the proposal to commit to 40 per cent affordable housing was premature and not implementable.

“None of the MEC, in my view, have the history and emotional commitment that many of us do in this chamber. Not to make a proper commitment to 40 per cent affordable housing at this stage is a betrayal of the people in Basingstoke.”

Cabinet member for property, finance and commissioning, Cllr John Izett, told councillors that he would not be voting for the “dangerous” motion, adding: “This administration is committed to building new homes and ensuring that Manydown will be a great place to live in; a development that will become acknowledged in the borough and beyond as a model example of how a new community can be created and flourish in the 21st century.

“We both want 40 per cent affordable at Manydown. The motion seeks to ignore clear legal advice, both from our own legal officers and a barrister, who have confirmed that such an absolute commitment could render the development unviable and stop us proceeding with the development at all.”

A deadlock was reached with 26 councillors voting for the motion, 26 against and Tory councillor Rob Golding abstaining from the vote. However, the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Roger Gardiner used his deciding vote to defeat the motion.

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