CIVIC chiefs say there is no role for Micheldever New Town in meeting housing need in Hampshire.

The annual meeting of the Dever Society heard that city councillors remain strongly opposed to a new town centred on Micheldever Station.

But the meeting also heard of growing pressure with proposed housing in the Basingstoke area to the north. Plans have been mooted for thousands of homes at Popham Airfield only a short distance across the A303 from the proposed new town, the meeting heard.

Neighbouring Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has been considering the idea of 3,000 homes in a 'new garden community' at the grass airstrip.

At Micheldever the O'Flynn Group proposes 6,000 homes on 1,250 acres of farmland.

READ MORE HERE: Developers criticised city council over emerging Local Plan

At the meeting, attended by around 60 people on Tuesday evening, city council leader Martin Tod and senior councillor Jackie Porter rejected the idea and also O'Flynn's stance that the new town would ease pressure on the 'PUSH' area of south-east Hampshire. PUSH councils are working together over issues such as development. It includes Southampton, Portsmouth, New Forest, Gosport, Eastleigh, Fareham, Havant, East Hampshire and Winchester.

Hampshire Chronicle: Proposed plans for Micheldever New Town

Cllr Tod pointed out the place to meet housing demand in south-east Hampshire was in that part of the county not at Micheldever, far to the north in central-northern Hampshire.

Dever Society chairman Tessa Robertson said: "Villagers are aware that the O'Flynn Group is not going away and that the city council may be faced with a High Court challenge which we've had in the past with the (previous developers) the Zurich Group. They will claim the Local Plan does not meet housing need."

SEE MORE: Housing proposals in Basingstoke district

Ms Robertson said Popham was a concern: "If Popham did go ahead we are talking of something only hundreds of yards from the boundary of the new town."

She said the borough council was looking at development in 'south-west Basingstoke' between the town and Dummer and around to the west. "They see it as a potential growth area, although they have paused their local plan because of the confusion coming out of central Government over housing allocations.

"Overall it was a very good meeting and we are pleased the councillors took time to come and answered questions for ages."