Spring 2012 - Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Spring 2012 - Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Spring 2012 - Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
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Making good use of our buildings<br />
The council owns a large number of<br />
buildings across the borough <strong>and</strong> is keen<br />
to make the best use of them to benefit<br />
the community <strong>and</strong> keep council tax low.<br />
Business premises, sports facilities, swimming pools, community<br />
centres, The Malls shopping centre <strong>and</strong> the Leisure Park are all<br />
owned by the council, as well as the civic buildings themselves.<br />
<strong>Basingstoke</strong> Multicultural Forum Chief Executive Radhia Tarafder <strong>and</strong> Chair Mano<br />
Singh outside Chute House<br />
Ron <strong>and</strong> Marion Lee discuss the expansion of their business at Lion Court with<br />
Bruce Batting of the council’s property team<br />
Refurbishment boost for small businesses<br />
Work to boost a rundown industrial site – Bear, Lion <strong>and</strong> Eagle<br />
Court <strong>and</strong> the former oil depot site in Roentgen Road, Daneshill,<br />
in <strong>Basingstoke</strong> – is due to be completed next month (April). Bear,<br />
Lion <strong>and</strong> Eagle Court is home to 26 industrial units, developed in<br />
the 1970s. While the estate had always produced a healthy rent<br />
roll, time had taken its toll <strong>and</strong> occupancy <strong>and</strong> rental levels had<br />
begun to fall. A £2 million makeover has been successful with one<br />
of the tenants exp<strong>and</strong>ing into four units, four new tenants keen to<br />
move in <strong>and</strong> the former oil depot site now occupied. The aim is to<br />
have 75% occupancy by the year end, bringing in improved rents<br />
as well as providing a great base for new <strong>and</strong> small businesses to<br />
develop <strong>and</strong> grow.<br />
New multicultural community hub<br />
<strong>Council</strong>-owned Chute House, empty since the University of<br />
Winchester vacated, is to be managed by <strong>Basingstoke</strong> Multicultural<br />
Forum. To be known as the Mosaic Centre, it will act as a hub for a<br />
wide variety of community groups as well as offering office space,<br />
meeting rooms, training facilities <strong>and</strong> function rooms. The move<br />
comes after the forum impressed the council with a proposal for a<br />
positive use of the attractive building to support community groups<br />
<strong>and</strong> activities. To find out more about the Mosiac Centre contact<br />
Radhia Tarafder by emailing radhia@bmforum.org.uk or calling<br />
07403 229 099.<br />
New surgery building nearing completion<br />
The building of a new purpose-built medical centre <strong>and</strong> pharmacy<br />
for residents in South Ham is nearing completion. The council has<br />
invested £3.2 million to build a br<strong>and</strong> new doctor’s surgery with seven<br />
consulting rooms, a dental practice <strong>and</strong> pharmacy. Next door is a<br />
new Methodist church with meeting rooms for the whole community<br />
on the existing St Andrew’s church site, at the junction of Western<br />
Way <strong>and</strong> Pinkerton Road in <strong>Basingstoke</strong>. The new buildings will<br />
replace the out-dated <strong>and</strong> cramped surgery at Paddock Road <strong>and</strong><br />
its satellite surgery in Hatch Warren. The council has funded the<br />
building to help the Primary Care Trust to meet the needs of the local<br />
community <strong>and</strong> at the same time get a good rental return.<br />
Basing View of the future<br />
This is a computer-generated preview of what<br />
the Basing View business park will look like in<br />
the future. Muse Developments has been<br />
named as <strong>Basingstoke</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Deane</strong> <strong>Borough</strong><br />
<strong>Council</strong>’s regeneration partner for a £200<br />
million regeneration project, which will<br />
establish Basing View as a 21st century<br />
business destination. Muse, a nationally<br />
recognised regeneration developer, is now<br />
working with the council to develop over 15<br />
acres of l<strong>and</strong> in Basing View into a mix of new<br />
office space, a business class hotel <strong>and</strong> other<br />
supporting facilities. It is envisaged that the<br />
project has the potential to double the<br />
number of jobs currently available at the<br />
business park to around 10,000.<br />
The council has confirmed that it will commit<br />
£3.3 million to deliver critically important<br />
estate infrastructure improvements, which has<br />
already begun with the demolition of two<br />
redundant buildings <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>scaping.<br />
Building work is scheduled to start, subject to<br />
planning approval, by the end of 2013.<br />
Cabinet View<br />
Cllr Ranil Jayawardena, Deputy Leader<br />
<strong>and</strong> Cabinet Member for Finance <strong>and</strong><br />
Property, said:<br />
As a council, we own lots of<br />
property <strong>and</strong> are determined to<br />
use this in ways that best meet the<br />
needs of our local communities.<br />
Through major regeneration schemes, like<br />
The Malls or Basing View, <strong>and</strong> our smaller<br />
investment initiatives, we can fund much<br />
needed improvements <strong>and</strong> increase rental<br />
returns to make an even bigger contribution<br />
to our budget, keeping council<br />
tax low.<br />
4 <strong>Basingstoke</strong> & <strong>Deane</strong> Today