New Basingstoke housing development agreed
A deal has been signed for the creation of Manydown
A landmark deal that will kick-start work to create new communities at Manydown has been signed by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.
Manydown was originally bought under a long lease with an option to purchase the freehold by the borough council and county council in 1996.
The two councils agreed to the principal terms of the purchase in October 2023 and the legal and financial documents to complete the purchase have now been signed by both councils and The Manydown Company Ltd. This had to be done to allow development to go-ahead.
The councils are in a partnership with Urban&Civic, a leading master developer in the UK and part of global charitable foundation The Wellcome Trust, to create new communities at Manydown planned around community facilities and green spaces, incorporating the best design features from villages and towns across Hampshire.
The councils’ development partner Urban&Civic can now start to prepare for early work to get the site ready for development including access for construction, roads and installation of utilities, before the new homes are built.
Exciting
The borough council’s Cabinet Member for Major Projects and Regeneration Cllr Onnalee Cubitt said:
“We are delighted to announce that we have signed the deal to unlock the land at Manydown which means we can start building new homes. This is a key and exciting new development that will combine the best features from Hampshire villages and towns, with contemporary sustainable design, supported by well-planned infrastructure and facilities. It will also include a 250-acre countryside park that will be a first for our town.
“Manydown is an essential cog in our wheel and it is great news that we are back on track to build the houses we need. It will provide 3,520 new homes, with 40% of them affordable.
“We are determined that Manydown will create communities that we can be proud of and we want Manydown to be a beacon of excellence in the region. This is one of the key promises we have made and we are delivering on it.”
Milestone
Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Nick Adams-King said:
“This is very good news and realises a huge milestone in bringing forward plans for building much-needed new housing in the area, especially more affordable homes. We will continue to work in close partnership with the borough council and Urban&Civic to help bring the development to life.”
Permission
The site has outline planning permission for a new community of up to 3,520 new homes, a 250-acre countryside park, two primary schools with land reserved for a potential secondary school and other mixed uses including businesses, shops and community facilities.
Following outline planning permission being granted, the partnership has been progressing the work needed to submit further planning applications to set out more detail on the development as a whole and the initial phase, in terms of design and site access arrangements.
Preliminary survey work started on the Manydown site in March 2021 as part of a series of early investigations to better understand the site, including the precise location of utility supplies, archaeological trenching, drainage tests and further detailed ground investigations.
In April 2023, planning permission was approved by the borough council’s Development Control Committee for the temporary construction access junctions as a first step in supporting the permissions and access needed to start work on site.
For more information, visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/Manydown