NEGOTIATIONS to finalise the freehold purchase of land at Manydown must still be completed before any homes can be built on the site. 

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council (HCC) are the joint owners of a long lease on 2,000 acres at Manydown, with plans to develop the land in western Basingstoke.

The northern part of the land has already been allocated and a new community with more than 3,500 homes and a 250-acre countryside park will be created.

The councils are considering how the land to the south should be developed, but it could see an even larger community with 10,000 homes proposed.

READ MORE: Manydown: Building yet to start nearly 20 years on

Now, 20 years on from the land being earmarked for houses, residents and councillors continue to be frustrated that not a single home has been built and it remains a dominant topic of conversation at council meetings.

During a cabinet meeting of Hampshire County Council on Tuesday, October 10 members delegated authority to senior officers to take forward proposals relating to the purchase of land in the north Manydown area.

During the discussion, which the media and public were exempt from, members said further work will be required before any purchase can be finalised and work can start.

A spokesperson for the county council said: "This includes completing legal and financial due diligence activity. In the meantime, we are continuing to work with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council towards progressing development in the Manydown area.”

SEE ALSO: Manydown: Environmental campaigner pleads with Basingstoke and Deane Bough Council

When asked why the public and media could not listen to the discussion the spokesperson said matters that are financially, commercially or legally sensitive are permitted to remain confidential and exempt from public view under the Local Government Act 1972.

The leader of the borough council, Cllr Paul Harvey said that he is "determined to drive the land deal forward" to start work on the site as soon as possible.

He added: "The Hampshire County Council decision takes us a step closer by getting the permissions in place that they need from their side to conclude the negotiations on buying the freehold on the land from the Manydown Company.

“We will be bringing a report to our cabinet when the negotiations are close to being finalised, as the last piece in the jigsaw falls into place to finally take the project forward to provide new homes.”