A political storm is brewing in Basingstoke and Deane as Conservative councillors clash with the borough’s Independent and Liberal Democrat-led administration over housing targets and the potential development of large-scale "New Towns."

Local Conservatives including Cllr David McIntyre and Jenny Vaux are vocally opposing both the Labour government’s imposed housing targets and what they describe as the administration’s openness to the creation of massive new developments, but the council leader has hit back and firmly denied any intention of supporting a 10,000-home development in Basingstoke.

This comes following the Labour government’s recent push for local councils to accommodate more housing through reforms in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The government’s revised targets would see Basingstoke and Deane’s housing quota rise by 37 per cent, requiring the borough to deliver 1,137 homes per year—a figure that has sparked heated debate.

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Cllr McIntyre expressed his concerns over these numbers, calling the increased housing target an "enormous burden" on local infrastructure, public services, and the environment.

He said the borough is already struggling to meet current demands and that building more homes without careful planning would be "unsustainable and irresponsible."

But it is the prospect of ‘New Towns’—developments with at least 10,000 homes—that has ignited the most controversy.

The Conservatives argue that the administration’s response to the government’s consultation on the NPPF leaves the door open to such developments within Basingstoke.

Cllr McIntyre said: "The council said in an official response that it supports the emphasis on suitably-located new towns to deliver the levels of growth required and would welcome working with partners to help the government in identifying and delivering such opportunities locally. I spoke to planning officers and they have categorically told me that no officer provided this response. This means it’s either Cllr Paul Harvey’s or Cllr Andy Konieczko’s words and support.

“The administration risks destroying the very character and quality of life that make Basingstoke a special place to live.

“New Towns with thousands of homes would place immense strain on our already overstretched public services—schools, healthcare, transport, and infrastructure.

"We are already at breaking point. This administration is recklessly flirting with these developments without consulting residents or having a plan in place to address the consequences.”

The Conservatives are bringing forward a motion at the full council meeting on Thursday, October 17, calling for the outright rejection of New Towns and a housing policy that aligns with local needs and the capacity of existing infrastructure.

Their argument is that any future developments should not be dictated by "arbitrary government figures" or what they view as the current administration’s lack of transparency.

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In a response to the criticism, Cllr Harvey firmly denied that the administration had any intention of supporting a 10,000-home development in Basingstoke.

"This is getting ridiculous," Cllr Harvey said.

“We sent a technical report and letter in response to the Government’s draft NPPF, and any suggestion that we are planning to build a 10k new town in Basingstoke is deliberately misleading. We don’t have anywhere to put it.”

Cllr Harvey said the administration does not agree with the government’s new housing targets and has made this clear in their communications.

“The real question is, where do the Conservatives say we should build the homes the Government tell us we must in Basingstoke?” he asked.