Stephen Sheedy is chairman of Basingstoke's Local Strategic Partnership and principal of Queen Mary's College. As part of The Gazette's Basingstoke - A Place To Be Proud Of campaign, he has written a wide-ranging article on his views on the town - one that throws down a gauntlet for the future.

"I FIRST came to work in Basingstoke from the north west of England about 11 years ago.

Nobody I spoke to up in Warrington about my new job knew where Basingstoke was and many confused it with Basildon.

Once I started working here, however, I became very quickly aware of how sensitive many people were to Basingstoke's image and the fact that it was felt to be locally famous as the butt of that "music hall joke".

The people of Basingstoke themselves seemed to think it was known for its roundabouts; for The Anvil, in some quarters; and for the AA.

What impressed me about it was its youthfulness - the way in which it readily welcomed people from all over the country and beyond, its prevalent "can do" attitude and, of course, the people themselves, especially its young people, many of whom were students at the college.

At the same time, I could see why it suffered from a reputation it did not deserve.

The people were reticent about themselves and many had low levels of aspiration, certainly by comparison with other parts of the country.

Basingstoke was surrounded by a great deal of snobbery in other towns, but also among people in different parts of the borough itself - and I am not merely talking about relationships between the town and the rural parts of Basingstoke and Deane.

The reputation, it is true, was not helped by the behaviour of some people, including those who take over the town at night every weekend.

And it struck me, and still strikes me, that the local politicians are so locked into trivial disputes, mutual denigration and point-scoring that, even though they have achieved much, they have missed many opportunities to improve the standing of Basingstoke and Deane in the region and the country by working together.

But Basingstoke and Deane, it seems to me, has the potential to become renowned for its truly fine qualities.

Look, for example, at where it could stand in relation to the current agenda for social inclusion.

There is no doubt that, in spite of the advances made in the latter half of the last century and the early years of this century towards equality of opportunity and improving standards of living for everybody, there remain unacceptable inequalities and resultant injustices in the United Kingdom as a whole, and also at the level of its smaller communities.

The borough of Basingstoke and Deane, however prosperous overall, does not escape such inequity.

Basingstoke, however, is well placed to become, for boroughs of its size in the UK if not the rest of Europe, a model of social inclusion.

Its people are warm-hearted, free from bigotry and ready to seize opportunity. It is strong, lively and optimistic. It is ready to embrace the challenges of the future with a commitment to valuing all of its people and neighbourhoods equally and to improving aspirations among all ages, while removing impediments to progress for all.

The future is potentially filled with pride in our environment, both built and natural. We have started to create magnificent public spaces and can do much more of even better quality in the future.

Across the borough, we have extraordinarily beautiful countryside and rural villages. We know how to provide impressive and affordable homes and ready access to services and facilities of the highest quality.

Take the notion of social inclusion seriously and we can commit to creating a community in which no one is to be disadvantaged by where they are born or brought up.

We will be able to show the rest of the country what can be achieved by celebration of diversity, as everyone in our communities is supported in her or his legitimate aspirations for personal improvement and wellbeing, from whatever part of the world - including the new member states of the European Union - they originate.

Such a notion of improved quality of life for all goes beyond material wealth. Our people should thrive in work, leisure, health, cultural and spiritual wellbeing in a borough famous for public debate of some substance in the context of a shared commitment to the good of all.

Basingstoke and Deane can become synonymous with inclusion and regeneration. It can be held up as a beacon for others to see what can be achieved with courage and with such talented and confident people working together."

Do you have a view on the issues raised by Stephen Sheedy? Write to The Letters Editor, Gazette Newspapers, Gazette House, Pelton Road, Basingstoke, RG21 6YD or e-mail editor@basingstokegazette.co.uk

First published: Thursday, January 26, 2006