Every month, Policing minister and MP for North West Hampshire, covering Andover and further afield, writes a weekly column for the Advertiser. Here’s what he said this time:

It’s disappointing to hear the application for a huge new distribution warehouse beside the M3 at Junction 7 has recently been approved – I opposed it because we’ve got to ensure it cannot get in the way of plans for our new hospital.

The new hospital we’ve all been working hard for is one of the 40 new hospitals to be built across the country, announced by the Prime Minister at the last election.

It was great news to hear that North West Hampshire was chosen to be in this ambitious programme.

Since then, plans have been progressing well.

Junction 7 is one of the preferred sites Hampshire Hospitals Trust will consult on as they put together the design and planning application, which is complex and takes time to get right.

We must give them the space to do this work.

The proposed new warehouse risks taking up much needed road capacity, creating further congestion on the A30.

I, along with neighbouring MPs, will push the government to urgently look at this so that the preferred site for the hospital is not scuppered just because NHS planning processes cannot move as quickly as commercial property developers.

I have nothing against warehouses in the right location, and I’m all for creating jobs.

However, I made an election pledge to secure a new general hospital to serve my constituents.

We have been successful in obtaining the funding to build it, now we have to secure a viable site and I will do everything I can to get it delivered.