Dear Editor,

I would like to congratulate the new leader of Basingstoke and Deane Council, Cllr Simon Bound on his vision for the borough given to the council meeting on 28 February, 2022.

No longer are we to be the “Capital of the South” but rather a thriving market town with an infrastructure to support it and its residents.

For many years Basingstoke has punched above its weight in relation to the provision of new homes.

“No local authority in Hampshire, the south and probably the whole of England has delivered as many homes in the last 20 years as a proportion of existing homes, and at an even higher rate than in the 20 years before that.” (Simon Bound when he was cabinet member for communities, planning and infrastructure)

READ MORE: Cllr Simon Bound new Basingstoke and Deane council leader

The projected growth rate of households the UK is expected to experience between 2020 to 2038 is 10 per cent, with Hampshire following this trend. The Basingstoke and Deane emerging plan sets a growth rate between 17- 24 per cent (Ref CACI Datasets Population and Household Estimates and Projections.) This represents a growth rate, in the borough, twice that of the UK and Hampshire.

In addition, the Office for National Statistics data reveals that Basingstoke and Deane is one of the most “Levelled Up” parts of the UK which is a testament in part to its exceptional historical delivery of housing.

However, during all this time improvements to the infrastructure supporting Basingstoke have lagged behind.

The residents of Basingstoke need better medical support, social care, transport links, utilities such as water and sewerage, waste disposal, recreation and the protection of our precious countryside. The upgrading of the infrastructure should be an automatic part of any new development not an afterthought.

One of our Members of Parliament, Maria Miller, has already opened the debate on Housing Numbers with the Government and has asked questions about the problem in Parliament. This is to be applauded and we hope that our other MPs Ranil Jayawardena and Kit Malthouse will add their support to that of Maria Miller and Cllr Bound in pressing the Government for change.

The council now needs to put its vision into action and convince Central Government that the figures need to change. To this end they will need the concerted support of local parish councils, Basingstoke residents and groups such as STaNHD (Stand up for the North Hampshire Downs).

Marcus Rule

Chairman of STaNHD