A masterplan for Basingstoke Leisure Park, which was approved by the council’s cabinet, has been sent back for review.
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council’s scrutiny committee spent more than two and a half hours at its February 14 meeting debating the masterplan, which had been approved by cabinet on January 10.
However, a group of councillors at the January 10 meeting argued that the document, drawn up by JLL, BDP and the council, was unambitious and missed opportunities. Those members subsequently had the decision called in and referred to the scrutiny committee.
The scrutiny committee has now decided it should go back to cabinet for review. Cabinet now had 10 days to revaluate its decision.
Among a host of reasons for the review, meeting chair Cllr Jacky Tustain summed up the major concerns as the communications, the decision-making process, some classifications in the document, the setting of expectations, costings, a ‘piecemeal’ approach, the need for a vision, a lack of inclusivity, the document’s ‘disjointedness’, the need for consideration of health & wellbeing by looking beyond the leisure industry and to consider holding all-member briefings.
She added: “The comms and the processes, I think, were the biggest things that came out as to why we are where we are and that needs to be looked at.”
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