LOCAL councillors are adamant Romsey must be protected from the tidal wave of new housing sweeping across south Hampshire.

Responding to the borough's Local Development Framework Core Strategy consultation paper on where new homes should be built up to 2026, Romsey Town Council says it supports an option for less development in Romsey and more at other key southern Test Valley settlements and Andover.

Giving its reasons the town council states: "Romsey already has a significant amount of housing development in the pipeline, for example 206 dwellings on the old Strong's brewery site and 800 plus at Abbotswood.

"The reasons given for resisting large-scale development in the past was the town needs time to assimilate new development such as Fishlake Meadows and the Flower' roads. Romsey will need equal time to assimilate the brewery site and Abbotswood."

The council argues that as most of the employment generated will be in the Partnership Urban South Hampshire (Push) area to the south of the M27. Locating housing on the edge of Romsey will be less sustainable as the amount of commuting from Romsey into Southampton will rise.

Finally town councillors refer to the importance placed on market towns and the quality of life they engineer.

It is widely held that a market should have not have a population of more than 20,000, say the council. The total population of Romsey and Romsey Extra is already 17,918 and the 20,000 figure may be passed when the currently allocated housing is built.

"Any more will significantly compromise Romsey's market town status, character and quality of life," concludes the council.

Hampshire's Romsey Extra division member Roy Perry said he doesn't want to see any more homes built in the town but fears it will happen under a Labour government.

Under the existing SE Plan Test Valley Borough Council is required to identify sites between now and 2026 for 3,910 dwellings in the south of Test Valley. That is anywhere from Romsey Extra to Chilworth. The north of Test Valley, which includes the Blackwater ward, has to provide 5,000 dwellings.

Cllr Perry said Romsey should retain its country town status with clear rural gaps between it and North Baddesley and Southampton.

"Romsey must not join up with Southampton," he said.

He said the area around Lee should be a green buffer to defend the "narrow and fragile gap" between Nursling and Southampton.

Cllr Perry said any new building must be of good quality - maybe along the lines of Poundbury, the Prince of Wales' development near Dorchester.

"I also stress the need for infrastructure, especially flood prevention measures and not building on the floodplain," said Cllr Perry.