Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) could create new public spaces in the borough as part of plans to get rid of a “backlog” of unbuilt housing. TVBC Leader, Councillor Phil North, raised the prospect during a meeting of the authority’s cabinet on Wednesday to discuss how the council aims to overcome nitrate restrictions placed on house building by offsetting land. He said: “If there is land available and we are able to purchase that, there may be opportunities available to open it up to members of the public as public access like we have done in other areas.” At present, all accommodation and tourism attractions across much of Hampshire must be nitrate neutral. Nitrates are generally generated by new housing, mostly in wastewater, amd have to be mitigated by other actions, such as taking agricultural land out of use, or introducing plants and animals that use nitrogen to grow.