Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, is encouraging her constituents to get involved with the Borough Council’s ongoing consultation on the future development of the Borough in the draft Local Plan.

The Local Plan is a set of policies and plans that will guide the development of Basingstoke and Deane up to 2029, including where development will take place, what infrastructure will be put in place to support it, and how the environment will be protected and enhanced. The Local Plan is open for public consultation until Friday 4 October.

Maria said: “It’s really important that individual residents, community groups and other interested organisations get involved with the proposals that will affect the future of our community. I would strongly encourage people to read the draft Plan, which is available on the Borough Council’s website, and let the Council know whether it meets their needs and expectations for the future.”

Maria will be taking a particular interest in the sustainability of housing development proposals, including whether the necessary infrastructure will be provided ahead of time, unlike on many occasions in the past. She will also be scrutinising the proposals to see whether they take proper account of the environmental and biodiversity concerns that she knows are so important to many local residents, including of the impact of housing development on our rivers.