The recent claims by the Basingstoke Independent council leader, Cllr Paul Harvey, that Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is locked into a rigid national housing target are not fully accurate. Councils possess the ability to adapt housing plans to local needs, as demonstrated by North Somerset, Three Rivers, and Wiltshire. These councils have successfully revised their housing targets downwards, aligning with local circumstances and community needs.

North Somerset, for instance, reduced its housing target from 20,085 to 14,902 homes. Three Rivers set its figure at 4,852 homes, significantly lower than the initial 11,466. Similarly, Wiltshire scaled back from 45,630 to 36,740 homes. These examples underscore the flexibility councils have under the current revised planning framework.

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It's crucial to note that recent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) have abolished mandatory housing targets, providing further leeway for councils to determine their housing needs based on robust local evidence. Councils are now expected to plan positively but can also consider environmental protections and infrastructure requirements more fully.

Therefore, the assertion that our local council cannot challenge the government-imposed number lacks foundation. Other councils have shown that with a proactive approach, it is indeed possible to tailor housing plans that better suit local contexts and preserve community character.

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Basingstoke and Deane deserves a transparent and ambitious approach to planning that genuinely reflects local needs and aspirations. We need a council that is willing to use the available mechanisms to negotiate a realistic and sustainable housing target that safeguards our local environment and meets our infrastructural needs.

Cllr David McIntyre

Ward councillor for Sherborne St John and Rooksdown

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council 

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