THE controversial bid to turn Whitehill and Bordon into an eco-town came under the spotlight again this week, when the national Conservative Party announced that it now opposes eco-town plans. The Conservative-led East Hampshire District Council, which supports the eco-town drive, is now at odds with the stance of the national party. The deputy leader of the district council (EHDC), David Parkinson, told the Herald: "We continue to support the eco-town bid. We, as an administration, are 100 per cent behind the plans. "We are not following the party line, but most eco- town bids are completely different to the one proposed in Whitehill-Bordon. "In 13 of the other sites (nationwide), developers are talking about building brand new towns and dropping 10,000 new homes onto greenfield sites. "In Whitehill-Bordon, however, we're talking about redeveloping the town and using brownfield sites. "We really believe that eco-town status would be the only way to ensure that the town gets the development it requires and is the best way to achieve the Green Town Vision." The Green Town Vision is a 20-year plan that aims to protect the environment and create a sustainable community. He added: "One has sympathy for those in the towns which are not as suited to the plans, but Whitehill-Bordon is completely different. "We are individually elected representatives and we are determined to do the very best for East Hamp- shire. We are committed to making it work and we truly believe that the best thing for the town would be to awarded eco-town status." The Conservative Party's U-turn followed the announ-cement by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) that it had changed its position on eco-towns, stating: "The government should go back to the drawing board." Marina Pacheco, CPRE's head of planning, said: "To begin with, CPRE supported the eco-towns initiative. "Who would object to exemplar schemes built to high environmental standards, which provide the affordable homes the nation desperately needs? "But we now believe we have been led astray. What will this programme deliver? It appears increasingly to be about spin with very little substance. "Many of these shortlisted schemes are recycled failed proposals." The district council is set to announce, next week, a date for a public meeting on the eco-town bid. The meeting will be followed by touring roadshows to give residents in Whitehill-Bordon, and the surrounding areas, a chance to speak to councillors and officers.
