THE EU referendum could have a significant effect on the redevelopment of Whitehill and Bordon, according to the project leader of the main development company in the town.

James Child, project leader at the Whitehill and Bordon Regeneration Company - which is redeveloping 494 acres in the town to provide 2,400 homes and a new town centre by 2035 - told town residents that, with such a large application over such a long period of time, that it was crucial they “have a plan for the twists and turns of economics”.

First on the horizon was the EU referendum, he said. “No one knows quite what’s going to happen,” he added. “But we have to think about these things.”

But for now, residents who attended the Annual Whitehill and Bordon Town Meeting on Monday, were told, by East Hampshire District Council’s Whitehill and Bordon project director Steve Pearce, that the regeneration was “moving forward at a rapid pace”. Mr Pearce emphasised a rosy financial picture for the regeneration.

“In total, more than £100m pounds of additional investment has been agreed for the town in the past year alone,” he said.

“I think it’s fair to say that the regeneration is moving forward at a rapid pace - absolutely unimaginable at this time last year.”

At the meeting at Whitehill Village Hall, Tim Willcocks, assistant director of land and new homes at Radian housing group, said that there was a “hive of activity” taking place at Quebec Barracks, with 100 new homes in the pipeline.

These will be a mix of two-bedroom flats, and two, three and four-bedroom houses, most of which will be for sale, with 10 shared-ownership properties ideal for first time buyers, as well as 25 for affordable rent.

When tendering for the job, he said Eastleigh-based Radian was “conscious of the responsibility of this being phase one of a much bigger project”. The firm was keen to retain some heritage on the site, with former military buildings forming a focal point for the development, hosting a cafe and community space.

This will go some way to addressing the 100-jobs target for Quebec Park, which Mr Willcocks admitted was “quite a challenge”.

He said the aim was to have the first people moving into homes by the end of this year or early 2017, and to be finished on site by the summer of 2018.

Stuart Goodwill, head of planning at Barratt David Wilson Homes, which is working in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency to develop Louisburg Barracks, talked residents through the plan to build 500 homes at the site, where a Future Skills Centre will also be located for people from the area to learn construction trades.

The Louisburg development was given full planning permission on April 29. Mr Goodwill said, as at Quebec Park, “heritage has been a key challenge”.

But with most of the barrack buildings being “quite narrow” and unsuitable for conversion, most were not retainable, with the exception of Amherst House, which will host four flats.

The developers had worked on how to “reflect and maintain the heritage of the site, without being pastiche”, the meeting heard.

This had been achieved with a collection of “smaller features”. For example, the outline and footprint of one of the barrack buildings will be kept, with a raised planter, so people can “appreciate the scale and nature of the building”.

Mr Goodwill said over the years soldiers stationed at Louisburg had written or carved their service numbers and other markings into brickwork. As a result, more than 300 bricks with graffiti had been collected and would be used to make a wall at the entrance to the parade park, he said.

The first builds at Louisburg would start in June and Hampshire County Council was on schedule to finish the northern stretch of the relief road, which runs through the centre of Louisburg, by November. If all goes according to plan, show homes at Louisburg could be ready by the end of this year, with 40 homes occupied by June 2017.

The aim is to build around 100 homes a year at the site, over a five-and-a-half year programme.

Mr Child gave an update on the main garrison plans for 2,400 new homes and a new town centre.

He said the EU referendum could have a significant effect on the scheme.

There were concerns from the floor about housing being delivered ahead of infrastructure, but Mr Child insisted that it was a “unique development” with many social and public facilities, such as new schools and a new leisure centre, arriving early.

“We’re a regeneration company, we’re investing in the town centre as much as the houses,” he said.

He said house prices were around 20 per cent lower than in neighbouring towns, which will help drive the project. But it was later observed this could be largely due to the town having no rail links to London.

Mr Pearce said that having no rail link could sometimes be “an advantage” as it meant people who live in the town are likely to work in the town. The new centre will host “a fairly substantial town square” similar to Petersfield’s, as well as 19,000sqm of retail space.

Mr Child said it will also feature an eight-screen cinema, theatre space and plenty of “arts and cultural life”.

“It will be a proper regional centre - it will be an attractive place to come and spend your weekends and evenings,” he added.