A JOINT attack on controversial plans for a new 6,000-home town in Hampshire has been launched by community group representatives.

A public inquiry into the Welborne scheme, which would also see nearly 100,000 square metres of shops and four schools constructed on the site near Fareham, is currently underway.

David Walton of Wallington Village Community Association and campaigner Shaun Cunningham both argued that the current Welborne plan does not contain enough detail to adequately inform Fareham residents.

Mr Walton said: “Health care, parking, and the traffic impact - these are all issues where the impact has not yet been assessed.

“The evidence for these is simply not contained within the current variation of the Welborne plan.

“This is like saying you are going to give someone a car and not telling them whether it's going to be a Fiat 500 or a Rolls Royce.”

The plans have proved divisive, with more than a hundred anti-Welborne campaigners protesting at the opening of the public examination last week.

The group highlighted their concerns that the project would cause problems with traffic and flooding, and place an increasing strain on public service.

Plans for the Welborne project include making ten per cent of the homes meet the Passivhaus standard.

This standard involves constructing homes that are extremely energy efficient and require very little heating.

But Shaun Cunningham, who is campaigning against the development, said: "Ten per cent is not very big - it's all aspirational but where's the evidence and the support that shows this is going to happen?

"I am sure a lot of residents of Fareham will be asking that question. They want to see some evidence."

Residents groups including the Wickham Society, Funtley Village Society and Wallington Village Community Association are being represented at the inquiry, along with Fareham Borough Council and Portsmouth Water.

Discussion at the meeting yesterday centred on topics including the renewable energy strategy, water supply, and flood risk.

And David Keene, representing Buckland Development Ltd, argued strongly that the plans did contain enough information with regards to flooding.

Mr Keene said: “It's very clearly laid out and it's a very clearly-worded policy, and it does provide the adequate safeguards that could be expected at this point.”