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Hampshire County Council will be hammering home the message that the county cannot take more housing unless the necessary infrastructure is provided when it represents residents at the South East Plan Examination-in-Public (EiP), which is putting the spotlight on North Hampshire and other parts of the Thames Valley over the next week.
The County Council is urging the Government appointed panel that is conducting the public inquiry called the Examination in Public (EiP) of the South East Plan to recognise that it is critical that a full range of services and facilities are provided to accompany any new house building in Hampshire. Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: “Under the draft South East Plan, Hart, Rushmoor and Basingstoke are included within the Western Corridor and Blackwater Valley sub region and between them are allocated 26,000 new dwellings over the Plan’s 20 year period. “The County Council is mindful of the constraints on development imposed by the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and the issues surrounding foul water disposal in Basingstoke. It is because of these issues that the County Council is cautious about the proposed level of growth in North Hampshire. In previous consultations on the South East Plan the County Council proposed that some of the housing allocation for Basingstoke be held in reserve, only to be released after 2016 if there is strong evidence that the constraints on the waste water system can be satisfactorily addressed, and we will be pressing this point at the EiP.” The EiP’s examination of the proposals for the Western Corridor and Blackwater Valley coincides with a debate that was held at Westminster on 21 March as part of the South East County Leader’s ‘Battle for the South East Campaign’ to secure a guarantee from Government that it will make available adequate and timely funding for local infrastructure to accompany future development. The ‘Our region, Our Future; Delivering for the South East’ debate brought together South East MPs, County Council Leaders, and other policymakers to discuss the future development of the South East, its vital contribution to Britain’s economic prosperity and the need for investment in its infrastructure. Councillor Thornber said; “The cost of the future infrastructure required if development does keep pace with that proposed in the South East Plan cannot be met from existing funding streams and the County Council is concerned that there is not a commitment from Government to invest in local infrastructure. "What we mean by infrastructure is the facilities that residents need access to in order to live their every day lives. We are talking about roads and transport, schools and colleges, health and social care, , waste facilities, utilities, water supplies, and sewerage systems, , all of which need significant investment if new development is to be sustainable and the quality of life of local residents protected. In addition it is important that green space of all kinds including playing fields, children's play areas, landscaping, amenity open space, strategic gaps, nature reserves and public rights of way are provided and preserved in order to contribute to a sense of place, conserve biodiversity and provide opportunities for recreation. “Infrastructure is about quality of life and this is why Hampshire County Council is campaigning for a guarantee that any new housing development will be accompanied by adequate Government funding to provide the infrastructure needed to build communities not just houses.”
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