A BETTER range of shops, improved sports facilities and road conditions are just some of the problems Basingstoke residents want to see get better in the town this year.

As the first month of the year is nearing an end, the Gazette asked readers on Facebook what improvements they would like to see in Basingstoke this year.

Lots of residents said they would like to see many of the empty units in Festival Place occupied once again.

Ernie Davey posted: "To fill the empty retail units in Festival Place with either pop-up shops or local businesses, it happens at Christmas so why not the rest of the year?"

As previously reported, around 20 per cent of units in Basingstoke’s flagship shopping centre are vacant. 

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With retail suffering in recent years, many shops in Festival Place have closed, resulting in a high number of empty units, including the former Debenhams unit which spans three floors and has been vacant since May 2021.

One of the latest businesses to vacate the shopping centre was Supercuts which closed its hairdressing salon in Festival Place on December 9.

Despite new shops opening last year, at least 27 units in Festival Place remain empty, some of which have been vacant for several years.

Eileen Moran Durrant shared the same view, also wanting to see better leisure and sports facilities.

She also posted: "Shops, entertainment, better transport, community facilities, leisure, sports, fitness at an affordable price and jobs, not just nail bars, well-paid jobs in multinational companies like Basingstoke used to attract."

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Others said they would like to see the roads sorted out.

Richard Moore posted: "Kempshott Lane to be resurfaced would be great. It’s like a farm track at the moment."

Meanwhile, Sarah Hastings posted: "More activities for young kids, better range of shops in the centre, toads maintained properly, could go on."

The topic of building more homes in the borough also seems to be a big topic of conversation.

Sandra Leary posted: "No more house building without a lot more infrastructure first. Not enough doctors, dentists, or hospital capacity now."