Residents are being encouraged to have their say on the future of Basingstoke and Deane as the borough council launches the first consultation in its restarted Local Plan process.
The consultation, which opened on Friday, will help establish the scope and direction of the long-term plan, which will guide decisions on housing, employment, infrastructure and development across the borough over the coming years.
The process has been restarted after concerns over future water supplies prevented the council from progressing its previous draft Local Plan under the existing planning system.
An updated water cycle study raised questions about whether sufficient water would be available to support thousands of proposed new homes in areas supplied by South East Water. The Environment Agency and Natural England also raised concerns during consultation on the previous draft plan.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, October 6, Councillor Andy Konieczko, cabinet member for strategic planning and infrastructure, confirmed that the new consultation was beginning.
He explained that, under the Government’s new planning system, the initial stage was now known as a scoping consultation, replacing what was previously called the issues and options consultation.
Cllr Konieczko said it would establish the wider parameters of what the Local Plan would cover over the next couple of years.
Although the formal consultation is aimed primarily at statutory consultees, the council is keen for residents and other interested parties to contribute their views.
“We’re very keen for everybody to get involved,” he said, adding that the authority wanted to encourage people to have their say regardless of whether they were statutory consultees.
The council agreed last month to restart work on the Local Plan under the Government’s new planning system, following delays caused by continuing uncertainty over water supply capacity.
Cabinet papers warned that the previous plan could not be progressed under the existing arrangements and indicated that preparing a new Local Plan could take around three years.
The new process will therefore play an important role in determining how the borough develops in the years ahead, including how future housing needs are balanced against infrastructure requirements and environmental considerations.
Urging residents to take part, Cllr Konieczko said the consultation would help set the direction for the plan, with the hope that the restarted process would reach completion this time.
Residents can find out more about the consultation and the new Local Plan process on the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council website.