It is deeply disappointing that the Government continue to enforce top-down housing targets.

There is a lot of misleading commentary floating around. If councils had been given the power to set their own housing targets, we would have jumped at the opportunity, to say otherwise, as some are, is deliberately misleading. 

Indeed anyone could be forgiven for forgetting the Conservatives were in power in Basingstoke for the last 17 years. 

The Conservative's last Local Plan, approved in 2016, was for 850 homes a year between 2011 and 2029. They allocated East of Basingstoke, Kennel Farm, Hounsome Fields, the Golf Course, and Land North of Popley near Sherborne St John, Whitchurch Station Car Park, Razor’s Farm and Manydown after a High Court Ruling.  

The minister in his reply to one of our MPs said they won’t allow councils to take account of historic building rates either, let alone set their own housing target.  

In all of the conversations we’ve had with residents and town and parish councils, two things have hit home: firstly, that people have listened to our approach of seeking King's Counsel advice on the housing number and what is possible; secondly, we’ve seen first-hand how much concern the lack of a five-year housing land supplier is causing.  

We want to see a lower housing number and have asked for expert advice from our planning officers, King's Counsel and Michael Gove himself, to see what scope we have to reduce it.

The wording in the government documents isn’t as straightforward as some non-experts have claimed. Given how much is at stake, it would be negligent of us if we didn’t seek further guidance.  

At the same time, we’re keen to get the public’s views on the draft plan. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also looks like it’ll give us much-needed protection against speculative development. 

The government say we must build 850 homes per year between 2025 to 2040, strangely the same figure the Conservatives proposed in their last Local Plan only a few years ago. The Independent/Lib Dem-led council is now proposing 693 homes per year for the first five years of the plan - a 20 per cent reduction.    

Councils have to review Local Plans every five years, so we are calling our strategy a ‘stepped approach’, starting lower in the first five years before the next review. We’ve listened and we are doing what we can within the bounds of planning law. 

We know that national politics is a disaster - that’s why we passionately believe at a local level, working together across the council, we can make a difference. What unites us is far more than that which divides us. We’ve got some big issues to resolve in our town and borough and we are focused on those priorities.  

Cllr Paul Harvey

Councillor for Norden Ward

Cllr Andy Konieczko    

Councillor for Brighton Hill

Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council

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