Politicians weigh in on housing

Conservative, Councillor Horace Mitchell, standing again in Highclere and Bourne, and Councillor Cecilia Morrison, standing again in Oakley and North Waltham

NEW assessments of housing in the borough would be the first priority of the Conservatives if they take control of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council on May 4.

The party believes better research is needed before any firm plans can be made for the future.

But they rule out the massive Manydown plan for thousands of houses on the western edge of Basingstoke that was deleted by a planning inspector from the borough-wide Local Plan blueprint.

Cllr Horace Mitchell said: "Manydown should stay out of consideration until there is a proper assessment."

The party also refutes allegations that it plans to build in the borough's rural areas.

The party does not agree with the levels of housing set out in the South East Plan blueprint being drawn up by regional government chiefs.

Cllr Mitchell says he is working on a campaign to alert people so that they can change the plan during the current consultation.

The Conservatives plan to work with council officers to ensure their advice to developers matches what councillors and residents want, and will put more support behind the development of village design statements - possibly extending them to towns.

The party also wants to see more affordable family and key worker housing.

Cllr Cecilia Morrison said: "Where we are in great trouble in the borough is because we do not have any larger properties to move families into."

Green Party, Darren Shirley, candidate in Eastrop

IF GREEN Party members are elected to the borough council, they will push for new housing developments to be as environmentally-friendly as possible.

The party wants the council to set higher ecological targets for developers and insist that homes are built that recycle water and do not need fossil fuels.

Darren Shirley said: "It is about making the developers go further than the bare minimum."

The party also wants building in the borough to take place in the centre of Basingstoke so that brownfield sites are used more than greenfield sites, such as Manydown, and people can be closer to amenities and use their cars less.

Mr Shirley said: "We don't want masses and masses of housing when there might be space in the centre of town."

Green Party members believe the council is still not doing enough to get local people involved in the planning process so that they can understand it and make a contribution to consultation.

Mr Shirley said: "The Green Party believes in empowering people."

They are also concerned that figures from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister show there are more than 1,300 empty homes in Basingstoke - mostly private homes - and they want the council to find a way of opening up these homes to people on the housing register.

The party believes too many flats have been built for young professionals and commuters, and more affordable homes for young people and families are now needed.

Labour, Councillor Paul Harvey, leader of the council, and Cllr Laura James, Cabinet member for housing, health and homes

REGENERATION of the borough's estates and meeting the needs of people on the housing register are the key priorities of the Labour party's housing policy.

The party is part of the administration that has achieved Beacon Status from the Government for affordable housing. More than £16.5million has also been handed over by the Government's Housing Corporation to invest in affordable housing.

Labour members argue that they have helped to meet the demand for housing by building flats and small homes because there is a high proportion of single people on the housing register. But a new housing-needs survey will take place this year.

Cllr Laura James said: "In terms of affordable housing, there is still a priority for smaller units.

"We are also supporting rural housing needs and the council is part of the Hampshire Alliance for Rural Affordable Housing."

The party says that it has improved residents' quality of life and given a "new start" to areas such as Oakridge and Bishops Green.

Cllr Harvey said: "We are trying to make the environments of our estates cleaner, greener and safer."

He vowed new developments will continue to be built mainly on brownfield sites under the plans Labour members of the council have put in place until 2011.

Cllr Harvey said: "In the Local Plan, about 80 to 90 per cent of housing is on brownfield sites. We have really focused on those sites first and Manydown is off the agenda now."

Liberal Democrat, Councillor Alison Wall, who is standing again in Whitchurch

THE Liberal Democrats want to send a clear message to the borough - that they will oppose central Government's demands for housing if the infrastructure is not in place to support it.

Cllr Alison Wall said: "We would have to dig in our heels and say we would not build. We feel that councils need more control to meet the needs of the people who live here."

An important area the party is concentrating on is providing affordable housing to buy and rent, both in Basingstoke and in the rural areas.

The Liberal Democrats say that as part of the borough council administration they have already increased the amount of social housing that developers are required to build, and are working to provide a mixture of flats and houses to meet the varied needs of people in the borough.

Cllr Wall said: "We are trying to make sure we have local homes for local people that they can afford."

The party's policy is to use brownfield sites before resorting to greenfield sites, but members feel they will have to build on some greenfield areas to meet housing targets.

Cllr Wall said: "It is the only controllable way we have of providing the amount of houses that the Government says we have to have."

The party is against building around the borough's smaller towns and villages, as they believe it will spoil the character of the area and it will mean housing will be bought by people from outside the area instead of local people who need it.

Independent, Councillor Martin Biermann, who is standing again in Chineham

THE design of new housing estates is a primary concern for Cllr Martin Biermann.

He believes residents' quality of life is affected because houses are being built too close together, causing a lack of privacy and the potential for disputes with neighbours.

Cllr Biermann said: "We might as well be building flats. There is far too much density."

He is also concerned that design in new developments, such as North Binfields in Chineham and Victory Hill in Basingstoke, forces residents to rely on their cars to get around, and the council should do more to ensure planning fits in with public transport.

He said: "I think if it isn't done, we as a council deserve to be severely criticised."

A problem that Cllr Biermann is also monitoring is "building in back gardens", as he is concerned that this development is not always sympathetic to the surrounding area.

He believes expansion in the borough will have to take place on the fringes of Basingstoke, but he agreed with the Local Plan inspector's decision to drop plans for Manydown while the infrastructure was not in place.

He also wants housing to be more environmentally-friendly, and for the council to set ambitious targets for developers to install on-site energy-generation facilities in new homes.

Cllr Biermann is also keen to find a way to encourage developers to speed up building once they have gained planning permission, and for the council to make it easier for people to make alterations to listed buildings that will improve their quality of life, such as installing double-glazing.

First published: Thursday, April 20, 2006