AN EAGERLY-awaited scheme to regenerate a blighted part of Basingstoke has taken a major step forward.

Cabinet chiefs at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council have agreed that senior council officers can transfer council-owned land in Popley to Sentinel Housing Group for the refurbishment of Longfellow Parade.

The scheme will see existing shops in the parade relocated to a site next to New Shakespeare Road in a bid to develop a new and vibrant shopping area with improved layout.

Negotiations are already under way with shop traders in respect of the relocation.

Five sites in the area - including the former Old Marlowe Close Surgery and the demolished Pen and Parchment public house site - will then be sold-off at below market value to Sentinel Housing, allowing Longfellow Parade to be converted into homes.

The existing 46 affordable rented homes and three shops are proposed to be replaced with 47 affordable rented homes, 26 shared ownership homes and 15 homes for open market sale.

As well as breathing new life into the area, the development will benefit from increased local trade from an additional 350 homes planned for the current John Hunt of Everest site.

Cllr George Hood, council deputy leader, said: "Longfellow Parade is a lonely, desolate place and has been a top priority for improvement among residents for a long time.

"This is just the start of the regeneration of Popley and shows the area is not standing still.

"The sooner we get on with this the better, and I hope we can announce a start date for work in the near future."

Martin Nurse, chief executive of Sentinel Housing, said he was extremely excited about the scheme and was looking forward to working in partnership with the borough council.

He confirmed Sentinel would be bidding for financial aid - estimated to be in the region of £7million - for the development later this year.

First published: Friday, April 1, 2005