CONTROVERSIAL plans which could see thousands of extra homes built across Hampshire in the next 20 years have been condemned by the county council's leading politician.

Councillor Ken Thornber launched a stinging attack on controversial proposals by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott which could see nearly 18,000 extra new houses built in the county over the next 20 years.

Cllr Thornber warned members of Hampshire County Council that building extra homes in the region was unsustainable without adequate investment in the county's crumbling rail and road network.

He said that at current growth rates alone, the county was facing a staggering £4 billion shortfall of cash needed to pay for vital infrastructure including new schools and transport links.

A blueprint which outlines future housing and employment growth for the county was presented to members of the authority at a special meeting of the full council. At the moment, Hampshire is scheduled to build about 150,000 new homes in the county by 2026

However, under radical government plans the region could be forced into building an extra 18,000 new homes reaching a staggering 168,000 over the next 20 years.

Cllr Thornber said: "There are unacceptable levels of congestion which are reducing the quality of life now. There is inadequate water provision now. This is a consequence of growth up to this year and yet the unelected regional assembly has the gall to say you will plan for 20 per cent more houses or 40 per cent more houses."

He told members that current spending on infrastructure was inadequate to cope with the existing growth planned for the county.

He said: "There are no guarantees that the government is giving funding and no recognition of our problems.

"I don't believe it is wise to plan for growth beyond three per cent in the overall economy of Hampshire."

Earlier in the debate, members were told that district and city councils in the south of the county including Southampton, Fareham,

the New Forest and Portsmouth were planning a 20 per cent growth in housing by the year 2026.

The group of authorities known as PUSH (the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire) was also planning on economic growth in the sub region of about 3.5 per cent.

But Councillor Keith Estlin executive member for the environment said that any growth in the county had to be linked with more infrastructure.

He said: "At the moment, on the evidence we have, there is a prima facie case that the current figures are in line with our aims of economic growth."