BASINGSTOKE’S MP has expressed her ‘disappointment’ at the borough council’s decision to approve plans for a major Amazon distribution hub at the Basingstoke Gateway site.

In a statement issued after last night’s vote, which saw the Development Control Committee reject outline permission for four warehouse units, but give full permission to the largest alone, Maria Miller said: “It’s disappointing the application was not turned down by the Council at this initial stage, given it’s speculative nature and the potential impact on plans for such a vital part of our local health service”.

Mrs Miller has asked for an urgent review by government of the decision taken, in the face of ongoing uncertainty over the impact on the viability of a preferred site for the new local Hospital, part of the Government’s Hospital Improvement Plan.

Along with MPs Kit Malthouse, Ranil Jayawardena. Steve Brine, Flick Drummond and Damian Hinds, Mrs Miller wrote to the Secretary of State Robert Jenrick in March asking him to take immediate action to halt any planning application for Mass Distribution Warehouses on the site.

The MPs want to ensure that the infrastructure needed for the new hospital is given priority over any speculative commercial applications, particularly in terms of road capacity.

Maria said: “It has taken two years to identify possible sites for the new hospital and it is crucial that the viability of this preferred site at Junction 7 of the M3 is not compromised because of a speculative commercial planning application.

“The plans for a new hospital are an essential part of Basingstoke’s future and they have to take priority. We owe that to the staff at the hospital and the community in North and Mid Hampshire. I hope that the government’s intervention at this stage can ensure that this preferred site is not jeopardised simply because the NHS planning processes do not move as quickly as commercial property developers.”

At the meeting last night, council officer Mike Townsend was asked to explain to members the weighting they should give any concerns over the hospital in their decision-making.

He said that the hospital has been raised both for and against the application, adding: "I think the issue is that the council's vision statement talks about a hospital in that location, but it's not a planning policy document so there's limited weight that can be put on that."

He pointed out that "prematurity" will rarely form the basis of refusal, particularly as the hospital is not an allocated site or even an application at this stage.

Talking about the next steps, Maria Miller continued: “The Secretary of State confirmed to me last week that he would consider halting the application once Basingstoke Council had made their intention clear.

“The government now has the opportunity to consider the application before it goes any further, and to ensure the application is halted if it in any way negatively impacts the new Hospital to serve our town and borough.”