CONCERNS are growing that the public consultation into the future of Whitehill and Bordon will not reflect the opinions of local residents. The Core Strategy questionnaire, available online, was designed to allow local people to have their say over the future of the town as the Ministry Of Defence (MoD) leaves the area. However, the Core Strategy questionnaire has recently come under criticism for being difficult to complete. One resident told the Herald: "It's almost impossible to fill in. It takes a very long time to complete it, and it is has a really complicated layout. You have to wonder how many people are going to bother." The questionnaire, as featured on the East Hampshire District Council website, is supported by extra information on PDFs, which need to be open while filling it in. Whitehill town and county councillor Adam Carew said: "There has been concern about the Core Strategy consultation. Councillor Bill Wain and I have both raised the issue that it is not very easy to fill in online as the questionnaire is separate from the main document - which is too long for many people to print off and cross reference." Residents are also concerned that anyone can fill in the questionnaire. The website does not ask for a postcode or any other details, so it seems quite possible for people outside the town and the immediate surrounding areas to vote on housing levels. The recent announcement that Bordon has been shortlisted to become an eco-town has prompted further concerns, as the town could stand to gain 5,000 to 8,000 new homes under the initiative. Mr Carew said: "It's true to say there has also been some confusion between the Core Strategy and the eco-town announcement. "My advice to residents is to carry on filling in the Core Strategy questionnaire and let us know your views by Tuesday, May 6, as we will not know whether EHDC's eco-town bid is successful until later this year. We want to hear residents' views and it's vital that the local voice is heard. "Ultimately the final housing levels will probably hinge on the ecological impact on the internationally protected Special Protection Areas at Woolmer and Broxhead, which lie south and north of our town. "We have a Green Town Vision to ensure any development here is conducted in a sustainable fashion. People like the countryside feel to our town."
