Here's just a brief summary of what we have to look forward to if the plan goes ahead.  If we don't fight these plans at every stage, the result will be the intense urbanisation of west and south-west Basingstoke and the irreparable loss of amenities and precious wildlife habitats.

 

• Manydown - 3,400 houses already in the Plan, and potentially a further 3-4,000 houses further south in a later phase.  The site was bought by Hampshire CC and Basingstoke and Deane in a deal that will reward both the Councils and the landowners if developed - hence the Councils' drive to maximise housing here.

• Longacre (previously 'Kennel Farm') - 310 houses now being built, despite the fact that the Inspector found it only 'marginally sustainable'.  What this really means is that he agreed that the site was unsustainable, but the Council could not provide any viable alternative at appeal.  The estate will undoubtedly 'de-nature' the adjacent ancient woodlands and degrade Old Down, especially as the 20m 'green buffer' appears not to have been respected by the developer or policed by the Council.

• Kempshott Park - a further 57 houses now complete.

• Beggarwood Area N - 96 dwellings, including 40 'affordable' units, plus a takeaway, currently being built by Bellway on a site originally zoned for employment.  The "Community Building", supposedly part of the development, has been built on Beggarwood Park, not on Area N at all.

• The Golf Course - 1,000 houses are in the current Local Plan, on a historic site (part of Kempshott Park, visited by Jane Austen).  The cost of the land demanded by the members (£1M a hectare) means that little or no affordable housing will be built, and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to pay for infrastructure will be minimal.

• Hounsome Fields - the M3 side of Kennel Farm.  Proposals for 750 houses between Kennel Farm and Junction 7 of the M3 were taken out of an earlier Draft Plan, but this was the first resort that the Council seized when the Inspector demanded an increase in the Borough's housing targets.  It's been shown to be the least sustainable site in Basingstoke, and is only in because the Council refused to change its focus in the light of imposed new numbers.  The developers say it will be part of a joined-up, coherent community with the Golf Course, thanks to an 'at grade' ("pelican") crossing over the split-level, fast dual-carriageway that is the A30 at that point.  It will have a school, close to the A30 at a point of maximum pollution.  Development was delayed because Councillors from Popley insisted that it have a gypsy & traveller site - and because Thames Water still can't solve the water and sewerage issues we highlighted at the EiP, but the Inspector and the Council rejected out of hand.

• The proposed Critical Treatment Hospital.  This appeared to be simply a speculative building opportunity to create a facility that nobody - at least the local Health authorities - actually wanted.  The idea now seems to be dead, thankfully, because the last, desperate ploy was simply to try to make it another private hospital, offering minimal benefit to the local people whose environment it would destroy.

 

The following are not currently in the Plan, but with the demand for 850 dpa from the Inspector and the apparent fixation of the Council on new greenfield sites, these seem possible, even likely.

 

• Old Down road.  When Manydown South is built, after 2030, the poor transport links of the site will mean that an access road will have to be built through to the A30.  The current plan is for it to go via Hounsome Fields, but with the doubts hanging over this development and the dubious nature of the road suggested in the plans we have seen, a road across this vibrant nature reserve cannot be rules out.

• The 'Island Site' at Beggarwood - this is legally part of Beggarwood Park, and should not be developed.  That doesn't seem to have prevented Grainger, the apparent owners, from turning it into a car park before asking for planning permission, and now submitting an application to build on it.

• The so-called "Western Bypass" - potentially an even more damaging road scheme to support Manydown, which would seriously impact Kempshott and Oakley Village.  Cllr Mark Ruffell, the Portfolio Holder on the EPH Committee, specifically asked for it to be re-included in the Plan.  We can see no evidence to support its inclusion - unless they want to develop on either side of it.