A new half-hourly bus service linking two major Basingstoke housing developments with the town centre, railway station and local schools has been approved.
The £1.7 million service will connect Hounsome Fields and the housing development on the former Basingstoke Golf Course with Basingstoke town centre from January 4, 2027.
Funded entirely through developer contributions for its first five years, buses will run every 30 minutes for at least 12 hours a day, six days a week. Peak-time journeys will also operate from Monday to Friday.
However, its future after the five-year period will depend on how many people use it.
Hampshire County Council has no additional funding available once the £1.7m developer funding runs out, and the report says the service will be withdrawn if bus companies do not consider it commercially viable by then.
Over the five years, council officers will monitor passenger numbers and work with residents and the successful bus operator to promote the route and encourage people to use it.
Both housing developments are continuing to grow, with the council saying they have now reached a size where a bus service is needed and there should be enough potential passengers to support it.
Hounsome Fields includes a new primary school, which opened in September 2025 and will eventually have places for up to 420 children.
Housing is also being built on the former Basingstoke Golf Course, alongside facilities including shops, a community building and nursery.
The bus tender requires services to cover the railway station and schools during peak periods, although the council report does not specify which schools will be served.
Hampshire County Council's executive member for highways and passenger transport, Cllr Steve Forster, approved the new service on November 2.
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