2022 Local Election Candidate – Julian Jones, Basingstoke & Deane Independents, Hatch Warren & Beggarwood

We live in a water stressed area. Expansion of the population should be moderated by this constraint. At the same time measures should limit water usage: dual flush WCs, encourage showering rather than baths and discourage the sale of large bath tubs, rapid repair of water leaks.

The sewage network and treatment works should have sufficient capacity to prevent
discharge of raw sewage into rivers and streams.

 

Development on green field sites should be discouraged. Farming methods should prevent run-off and limit use of chemicals that can leach into streams and rivers or into our precious aquifers.

Ancient woodland should be preserved. Existing trees should be retained and new planting and hedges should be encouraged.

 

Development should be in locations where walking and cycling to employment, recreational and retail facilities and so that access to public transport by train and bus is practical.

 

New and existing homes should be well insulated. Where feasible air or ground source
heating should be used. All new homes should be capable of having solar panels fitted and they should fitted as standard. Roofs should be oriented to maximise solar capture. Office blocks, warehouses and public building should be required to install solar panels. Where car parks should be covered with awnings integrating solar panels.

 

Street lighting and illumination of commercial buildings should be minimised to prevent it disrupting the behaviour of nocturnal moths and the bats that feed on them.

 

Reuse of product should be encouraged, e.g. furniture. Recycling of home waste should be promoted and simple. Anaerobic digestion should use local waste from within the borough, e.g. within a 25m radius. Planting crops to feed AD plants should be minimised.

 

Old Down should be designated a Local Nature Reserve.

 

A corridor between the South Downs National Park and the North Wessex Downs AONB should be preserved.

 

Land and views around the local footpath network should be protected.

 

Promote a programme of home insulation and double/triple glazing. Provide an incentive for installation of solar panels.

Prevent unnecessary felling of trees.

Limit housing numbers in the Local Plan to those needed by the existing population and businesses.

To minimise travel; where development is in remote locations it requires schools, medical facilities – surgeries and dentists, local employment, cafes/pubs, retail stores, sewage treatment provision, high speed broadband, sufficient electrical capacity to support charging of EVs, cooking and supplementary heating where air or ground source heating is insufficient, mobile phone capacity including 5G. The power source must be reliable for these reasons and because of increasing home automation. This is particularly important for an aging population and people with health conditions that require special equipment at home or remote monitoring. For all these reasons and preservation of green field sites development in remote locations should be discouraged.

The options of the borough council are constrained by national policies. The Local Plan is governed by the NPFF.

 

Site selection should minimise loss of green fields and important natural habitat.

 

Press for development site selection should prioritise locations that enable travel on foot, by bicycle and public transport.

 

Encourage Old Down to be designated a Local Nature Reserve.

 

Encourage programmes to insulate existing houses; National policy should require that new housing is well insulated.

 

Pressure HCC to invest in fibre broadband.