FRESH concerns of what impact the £300 million redevelopment of the Leisure Park could contain have emerged.

Councillors on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council have been given a presentation from NewRiver REIT Plc on what the proposed park may look like come the end of the project.

However, opposition councillors were shocked to see a mention of potential residential use of the site included within the presentation.

Leader of the Basingstoke Labour Group, Councillor Paul Harvey said: “We have gone from something which would be strictly leisure, to leisure and retail, and now completely out of the blue they mention residential.

“This is not what we agreed upon and it speaks volumes that if NewRiver are exploring residential does that mean they don’t have faith in the leisure option they want to put forward as being financially viable.”

NewRiver has said that the scheme is a long-term project and that no finalised decisions had been made yet.

Jamie Whitfield, from NewRiver,, said:”We are confident that we can deliver something truly special and unique in Basingstoke and in the process, set a new benchmark for leisure experience in the whole of the UK.”

Despite what was shown during the briefing under ‘other uses’, the council said residential was not and is not part of the plan.

Cabinet member for property and development, Cllr John Izett said: “It’s right that there should always be discussion about providing more housing on council-owned brownfield sites.

“However, it has never been part of the strategy for the leisure park to include housing nor is it the administration’s intention to do so.”