Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has been accused of wasting taxpayers’ money on the scheme at Basing View

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has been accused of wasting taxpayers’ money on the scheme at Basing View.

Lib Dem figures claim BDBC is splashing out £1m, and while the Tories have called that figure “inaccurate” they have refused to declare an alternative amount.

As previously reported in The Gazette, BDBC agreed to sell a piece of land to Abstract Securities, which plans to build a 60,000 square foot office development on the site.

The office, called The Florence Building, will have 700 desks and 200 car parking spaces.

But the Basingstoke Liberal Democrats have claimed that in agreeing to the project, the council has committed to spending £1m to install a wall around the site, which is more than what it will receive from the sale of the land.

Liberal Democrats leader, Councillor Gavin James, said: “Once built, the council will have no rental from the developer or the tenants so the £1m will not have any return at all. Effectively, we are subsidising a private developer.”

The wall will be built because the site is on a slope, meaning a retaining wall and land removal is needed in order for the site to be developed.

Cllr James added: “We should be putting people first instead of using limited resources to help multinational corporations.

“We would have preferred to use this money to subsidise housing which is unaffordable for many young families in the borough.”

He pointed out that the Conservative party argued that the investment will create jobs and attract more interest for other investors in Basing View, but added: “We have no idea whether it will get occupied and if so by whom and what jobs may be offered and whether to locals or re-locators.”

Conservative cabinet member for property and development John Izett hit back and said the Lib Dems were being “completely misleading”.

He admitted to The Gazette that the cost of the wall works is higher than the figure the council received in the sale of the land, but declined to give specific figures.

But he said the site would sit empty if the council did nothing, arguing: “This is a major step forward for the regeneration of Basing View and will create 600-700 jobs.

“One issue we’ve got is it’s a very sloping site and in order to make the land suitable for development it’s necessary to spend money.

“It is an appropriate use of public money to invest in this way.

“I’m really disappointed that the Lib Dems have taken this line.”