WITH words like "aspire", "opportunity", "improve" and "deliver", Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's leader has set out his ambitions for the new Conservative-led administration.

This week, Councillor Andrew Finney - who was voted into the top position last Thursday - outlined the aims of his new Cabinet in an exclusive interview with The Gazette.

Cllr Finney, who stepped up to lead the council after two years as a member of Cllr John Leek's Conservative administration, said: "We have had two years of laying down some solid foundations and the next two years is about building on those to deliver something visible to people."

While he did not reveal any major new projects, he referred instead to bringing existing ideas closer to fruition, including refurbishment of The Malls, the regeneration of Basing View and the creation of a landmark learning campus.

The campus is earmarked for the former Eli Lilly manufacturing site in Kingsclere Road and would include a relocated Basingstoke College of Technology.

Cllr Finney believes the planned campus would be a "step change" for Basingstoke. He said: "It will create opportunities for people of all ages and an ability to acquire new skills to enable them to get the new jobs we are going to create in the local economy.

"We want to make Basingstoke a place where people aspire to live, aspire to work and aspire to improve themselves."

Cllr Finney is keen to attract new business to the borough, particularly industries that would diversify the mix of employment available.

He also wants there to be plenty of opportunity for employees to relax, and continue to enjoy a good quality of life, outside of work.

There are positive signs on the sports front, as the new leader hinted that Basingstoke and Mid-Hants Athletic Club's bid to improve their base at Down Grange could benefit from an approach to enhance the leisure and community side of borough life.

"We have got a first-class athletics club that needs two extra lanes put in to make it suitable for first-class competition," he said. "But it's not just about two lanes - it's also about the facilities that go with it."

For Cllr Finney, the little things that matter are just as important as the big projects. He wants to ensure the streets are kept clean, graffiti is removed and parking problems are addressed.

While he wants to see continued improvement in the borough's recycling rate, Cllr Finney pledged there would be no move away from the weekly bin collection. "Forcing people to recycle by not emptying their black bins is not the way to do it," he said.

He pledged that the council would continue to gather the evidence needed to lobby other agencies for more funding for infrastructure improvements, such as that required to ease traffic congestion at Junction 6 of the M3.

The Cabinet is also committed to community safety improvements led by a visible uniformed presence that "has the power to take action", said the new leader.

Cllr Finney said he and the Cabinet - which features new appointees and people in new roles - are committed to doing their best for the borough.

"I don't believe in half measures," he said. "I will give 110 per cent to the people of Basingstoke and Deane and nothing less is good enough."

Cllr Finney summed up: "If the figures show that we are delivering improved services, if we have improved further our recycling rate, if we have started to deliver on some of the projects such as the learning campus and The Malls, and done all that without imposing a higher tax burden on our residents, I think that will be a success."