The future of a key development site in the town will be decided by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government next year, the Observer can reveal.
LemonLand have lodged an appeal after their application for the former Eli Lilly site, on Kingsclere Road, was thrown out by Basingstoke and Deane borough council in August last year. A timetable has now been set up that will see the case go before the Rt Hon. John Denham, Secretary of State via a public enquiry in late January 2011.
Residents have until the end of this month to have their say on the development, which promised hundreds of new homes as well as retail outlets, office space and a hotel. Traffic issues, as well as the amount of open space were among the reasons for rejections but LemonLand have returned with a fresh planning application, while also fighting the original decision.
But ward councillors Paul Harvey, Laura James and George Hood continue to fight the development and have urged residents to come forward and have their say.
“We want as many residents as possible to write in with their letters, their objections and their views on this site. We want it to be made clear that this is going on and residents can have their say. As ward councillors, we will carry on the fight to stop LemonLand concreting over our community with the worst possible kind of development.”
The deadline for residents’ comments is Wednesday, April 28 with a provisional date for a report to the Secretary of State to be submitted by January 24 2011.
To have your say write to The Planning Inspectorate, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN.
