A PLANNING application for a massive development on the edge of Basingstoke will be considered at a one-off meeting next month.

Councillors on the borough' Development Control committee will consider the planning application for Manydown, which would see up to 3,520 new homes, businesses, shops, community facilities, schools and a 250-acre country park built to the west of the town, on Wednesday, July 8, at 2pm.

The virtual meeting will be streamed on YouTube for those who want to watch.

It comes after the first date to discuss the proposal, March 24, was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Chair of the borough council’s Development Control Committee Cllr Paul Miller said: “Manydown is the largest site allocated for housing in the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan and, as it was ready for the committee to consider in March, we were keen for it to be scheduled for a meeting as soon as possible.

"The virtual meetings that we have held so far with smaller applications have gone well so we now feel in a position that we can reschedule this as a virtual meeting.

"Given the size and complexity of the development and the amount of information councillors will need to consider, the meeting on Wednesday 8 July will only consider this outline planning application.”

The outline planning application, which will be decided on July 8, seeks permission for the overall principles of developing the site, including the type and size of development and the infrastructure to be provided, specifically the three vehicular access points onto the B3400, A339 and Roman Road.

It does not provide a detailed layout of the development or the designs of buildings and spaces. This would follow in future planning documents and detailed applications.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council are applying for the development, whilst the councillors on the committee will decide whether or not to grant permission.

Development Control Committee:

Conservatives (6): P Miller, D Leeks, N Robinson, D George, S Godesen, A Court

Labour (3): R Cooper, S Grant, A McCormick

Lib Dems (1): M Bound

Independents (2): D Potter, C Tomblin