Plans for a groundbreaking partnership to fast-track improvements at Basing View and Basingstoke town centre have been unveiled.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council look set to find a partner as part of a new investment partnership to improve sites in the town centre and Basingstoke’s central business district, if plans are approved by the decision-making Cabinet at a meeting on Tuesday (9 December).

Taking forward projects identified in the Town Centre Masterplan, which was adopted by the council in 2022, the partnership could pave the way for the creation of mixed-use spaces to support a thriving and modern town centre.

This could include new leisure uses and new homes for all ages to support vibrant town centre living, with easy access to facilities, shops and restaurants, to improve the area, alongside high-quality office space to attract businesses.

Potential opportunities include breathing new life into vacant plots at Basing View as well as the chance to explore how council-owned spaces could be better used.

If approved, the next steps would see the council start the selection process to find an investment partner.

Cabinet Member for Major Projects and Regeneration Cllr Onnalee Cubitt said: “We have been absolutely clear on our commitment to creating a buzzing and vibrant town centre. For too long, plans for our town centre have stayed on paper instead of making a difference. We want to get on with delivering the measures set out in the 2022 masterplan and bring exciting investment into the area.

“While we’ve been making visible improvements as part of our targeted action to improve the look and feel of the area, we have been working behind the scenes on how we can deliver meaningful, long-term change to boost footfall and attract more people into the heart of our town.

“Finding the right partner is critical – we need someone who shares our vision and ambition to further improve Basing View and the town centre into thriving destinations for residents, visitors and businesses. Incorporating a range of new mixed uses, including new communities and other offers such as leisure, will be essential to putting Basingstoke on the map as a modern and exciting place to live, work and visit.”

The report that will be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday 9 December can be found at https://democracy.basingstoke.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=142&MId=2775