November 26th 1999: A PUBLIC inquiry into contentious plans for 2,000 new homes on the outskirts of Winchester has been demanded by city Tories.

The call follows last night's public meeting at Henry Beaufort School to look at the growing threat of development on the greenfield site at Barton Farm.

Conservative councillors want a public examination of the County Structure Plan to be re-opened so the proposals can be properly aired. They argue that new evidence has recently come to light, including the Winchester Local Plan and the Future of Winchester Study.

"At no point have the residents of Winchester North been properly consulted on the Barton Farm development proposals," protested Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate, Andrew Hayes.

"Simple justice demands that this must be put right as soon as possible and certainly before any decisions are made.

"We believe it is perfectly justified and legally possible for the examination in public to be re-opened. I will press for this to happen in partnership with my colleagues on the city council."

The leader of the council's Tory group, Fred Allgood, said the council must use every legal means possible to block the government's latest housing "madness" - particularly the threat to Barton Farm.

"The area would be blighted forever by the unrestricted housing development that the government is now contemplating allowing," he added.

Hundreds of local residents have already added their names to petitions circulating around Winchester opposing large-scale new housing on the countryside site.

A notice of motion urging the city council to formally object to the development of 169,000 additional homes in Hampshire up to the year 2016 - as recommended by John Prescott's advisory panel - was put before the planning committee yesterday.

Mr Hayes emphasised that the only reason Barton Farm was now seriously threatened was because of the latest housing proposals.

"The government's fingerprints are all over the potential destruction of our countryside," he complained