BASINGSTOKE’S town centre needs to “evolve” in response to changing shopping and leisure habits to ensure it remains a “strong beating heart”, according to a borough councillor.

Cabinet member for finance and property, Cllr John Izett, has spoken about what will happen next after the borough council’s town centre masterplan was adopted in December.

Responding to the news that one in five units in Festival Place are empty, the borough council said its strategy is to “diversify so that the town centre offers a wider variety of experiences for leisure and socialising, as well as opportunities for urban living”.

Read more: One in five units empty in Festival Place as council considers alternatives to retail

Cllr Izett said: “High streets and town centres across the country need to continue to evolve in response to the changing shopping and leisure habits and preferences of residents, and the masterplan is designed to enable that transformation to ensure Basingstoke remains a strong beating heart for the borough.”

The borough council’s design team has begun testing ideas for specific sites in the town centre and analysing the cost to assess the viability of its ideas.

The masterplan was adopted following consultation with the public and stakeholders in 2021, when more than 3,300 people responded to a survey, the feedback from which was used to shape the masterplan.

The borough council appointed a team of experts to look at transforming the town centre. 

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The improvements aim to encourage more people to visit Basingstoke town centre and set its future direction over the coming decades, to protect the future “vitality and vibrancy”. 

The borough council said it hopes the new strategy, which has short and medium-term improvements as well as long-term complex regeneration projects, will attract new visitors and businesses, including independent traders and community projects.

The council said it is working with the privately owned Festival Place and other town centre landowners to deliver the strategy.

Cllr Izett said: “Following the major step forward of approving a new masterplan for the Town Centre Strategy at cabinet on 6 December 2022, we are now developing specific proposals for key sites in the town centre. This involves working with other landowners and stakeholders on detailed plans, costings and viability exercises.”

He added: “The masterplan uses the historic layout of Basingstoke to reimagine the current town centre to include more traditional streets, more parks, enhanced cultural and leisure places, and the best of urban living with new housing, all aimed at increasing the vibrancy and prosperity of the town centre.

“The vision is to give a greener feel to the town centre by creating new pockets of green spaces, as well as new planting throughout to improve the area’s biodiversity.

“In recognition of the essential role arts and culture play in the vitality of town centres and how this could develop in the future, a framework for culture in Basingstoke and Deane forms part of the masterplan; local cultural leaders and businesses, education, community, environment and health partners are now being brought together to form a cultural partnership to guide future arts and heritage projects, support talent and develop local skills and commission programmes so that local partners can make a major contribution to the borough.

“Town centre art projects have already started to improve the environment, for example through Streets Alive and the community art wall. The next steps will involve bringing forward schemes to improve the public open spaces, for example around The Malls, and continued work on planning transport improvements.”

Festival Place has been asked for a comment.