FORMER Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith paid an unexpected visit to the Heatherlands Estate, in Headley, last Thursday. As chairman of the Conservative Social Just-ice Policy Group, Mr Duncan Smith arrived in the area to find out how East Hampshire District Council was working to eradicate social exclusion. It was during this visit that the MP for Chingford and Woodford briefly visited the Heatherlands Estate in order to see the community developments taking place. A number of community development projects have been launched on the estate, including work to improve open spaces and the securing of funding to employ a community- development worker. A spokesman for East Hampshire District Council said: "Employing a community-development officer in Heatherlands will give local people the confidence to get involved in improving the estate. The officer will work directly with members of the public to develop projects and implement improvements that local people want." Social justice has been highlighted as a priority by the district council. Leader Ferris Cowper said: "East Hampshire is seen as an affluent area, but in some ways it is harder to be hard up in an affluent area than in an inner city where there is more public transport and cheaper shops."
