YOUNG designers have put forward their ideas for potential public seating areas which will form part of the Manydown development.

A poppy seat, a sculpture of a sitting farmer and a woodland bench were the three inspirational models on display to members of the Manydown Overview Committee at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s civic offices on Thursday, 30 November.

The students – all aged under 16-years-old - created their designs as part of a summer workshop which aimed to engage young people in creating a lasting legacy for the new communities at Manydown.

Helen Zdyb designed a woodland style bench, Tom Ayre suggested a poppy seat to represent the farm flowers on the Manydown estate and Ben Wall submitted a sculpture of a farmer sitting on a large bench with space for others to rest.

The project team, including borough and county councillors, will now consider how the public seating designs may be used in the first phase of the Manydown development.

Cabinet member responsible for Manydown, councillor John Izett said: “The public seating designs from these young people shows real creativity and great understanding of the Manydown vision and the history of the area.

“Manydown aims to be one of the best designed new housing developments in Britain. We have been encouraged by the response from local residents of all ages through the many stages of consultation. It is important to get the ideas of those who may be living and making their homes at Manydown in future.”

The borough council, along with Hampshire County Council, have submitted an outline planning application for the new development at Manydown, on land they jointly acquired to help to meet the borough's future housing needs.

Since the outline planning application was submitted, the planning authority has carried out a consultation and following that the councils, as landowners, have been discussing what amendments need to be made in light of some important points raised the feedback.

Leader of the county council, Cllr Roy Perry said: “This project underlines how much we value the creative input of Hampshire’s young people in the Manydown project.

“We look forward to reviewing the seating designs and seeing where they can best be placed in the new Manydown communities. We would encourage young people to continue submitting their opinions online about what is needed for Manydown’s future so that their feedback can help inform the various stages of work still to be done.”

To find out more about the Manydown project, visit: manydownbasingstoke.co.uk.