MIXED emotions were expressed by Whitehill town councillors over the planned shake-up of the parliamentary constituency boundaries.

Councillors were pleased their views that Bordon and Whitehill should be in an East Hampshire ward and linked to East Hampshire District Council rather than Hart District Council had not fallen on deaf ears.

However, they expressed sadness at the fact that current MP James Arbuthnot will no longer be representing the town.

Proposals have been put forward for Bordon and many of its surrounding villages to be put together in an East Hampshire Constituency along with Alton and Petersfield.

The Bordon area has previously been in an East Hampshire Constituency along with Petersfield, and represented by Michael Mates, while Alton was included within the boundaries of the Winchester Constituency.

But in 1997 it was all change when Petersfield and Alton combined to create the new East Hampshire constituency and the Bordon area was joined up with parishes in the Hart district to create a brand new North East Hampshire constituency which was later represented by James Arbuthnot.

But it is all change again and the new proposals will mean the majority of the area covered by EHDC will be represented by the same MP with the exception of a small number of villages in the south of the district.

At MondayÕs meeting of Whitehill Town Council chairman Neil Ockenden said that he wished the boundary commission had listened to the town council which had originally been opposed to its inclusion in the north east Hampshire seat.

Zoya Faddy also said that she was pleased that the new plans were being put forward.

ÒI think that Bordon is linked more with Alton and Petersfield and that local residents tend to use their facilities more than in Hart,Ó she said.

ÒThis makes a lot more sense.Ó

Town clerk Linda Tiley expressed the concern that the East Hampshire MP would be largely representing an area within the proposed South Downs National Park while only a small area - Bordon and Alton - would be outside.

But Mr Ockenden said that it would be difficult to fight the current proposals because the town council had fought hard to try and be included within the East Hampshire constituency the last time changes were proposed.

However, he said that it was sad news that Bordon would loose the representation of James Arbuthnot and expressed the fear his successor would not take the same amount of interest in the area.

ÒMy only sadness is that we would lose James Arbuthnot who has worked very hard for us.Ó