A BREAKTHROUGH has been declared by Lindford Parish Council in its continuing fight to prevent the construction of a large housing development in the village.

On Monday the council revealed that Thames Water had altered its population figures which shows that the local sewage system is near maximum capacity.

In the past Thames Water has said that the equivalent of 32,000 people from Bordon, Headley, Liphook, Grayshott, Longmoor, Churt, Hindhead, Kingsley and Oakhanger contribute to the sewage system.

However, Eric Birkett said that after a new survey the company had now revised that figure to 36,000.

He told the council that the maximum capacity that the system could cope with was for a population of 37,500.

ÒThames Water were wrong and they have admitted that they were wrong,Ó he said.

The quarrel over the population figures has been continuing for a number of years with the parish council disputing Thames WatersÕ figures.

It believes the figures are a key issue in fighting a large new housing development at the bottom of Chase Road.

The area of land at the bottom of Chase Road has been designated for 165 new homes although a planning application for the site has not yet been submitted by developer Charles Church.

The parish council is keen to show that the existing sewage system could not cope with the large development.

Mr Birkett said: ÒThey are only 1,500 off their maximum capacity now and with all the other new housing developments going on it will not take them that long to reach maximum capacity.Ó

Other councillors agreed. Joe Davis said: ÒIt is quite significant.Ó