CALLS have been made for more scientific evidence to be gathered regarding water supply before anymore developments are approved in Basingstoke and Deane.

Government calculations suggest as many as 17,820 new homes need to be built in Basingstoke and Deane by the end of 2039 and council documents reveal that Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) needs to build 7,703 houses more than they currently have in the pipeline.

It's part of the update process of a document called the local plan, which sets the rules surrounding the development of the borough and can be used by developers as a blueprint on where and how to build houses.

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Whitchurch has been a key topic of discussion after concerns have been raised about the environmental impact building homes will have, including constraints it would put on the River Test and its famous chalkstream.

On Tuesday, July 18 councillors met again to discuss the water cycle study, which has been developed to provide evidence to ensure that the scale and location of development proposed can be met without impacting on the water environment. 

David George, Whitchurch Town Council hydrogeological expert shared his concerns about the River Test and the famous chalkstream. 

He said that more evidence is needed to understand how many houses can be built and what impact it would have in terms of sewage and water supply.

He said: “The suggestion in the report pack that development will have no impact on the quality of the river I frankly do not believe is supported by scientific evidence.

“I think the key thing is when preparing the local plan, we have to make sure that these large-scale developments are deliverable. It is clearly pointed out in the water cycle study that these should be looked at before any developments are approved.”

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Councillors in attendance, including Cllr Paul Harvey said how they go about getting the evidence is “extremely important”.

Gareth Catner, Whitchurch Town Council planning subject expert, took a similar view.

He added: “Assessments should be undertaken before significant new growth is made in the River Test catchment and this has been given added significance after the report from the environmental agency regarding the highest level of pollution incidents by water companies since 2013.”

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