FURIOUS Winchester Tories have declared war on the government over shock plans to saturate Hampshire with 169,000 new homes.

They have pledged to use every legal and campaigning weapon available to stop the devastating attack on local communities and the countryside.

If accepted by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, the proposals put forward by an advisory panel on regional planning guidance will result in the building of 180 new homes every week for the next 20 years.

Winchester Conservatives' pro-spective Parliamentary candidate, Andrew Hayes, summed up the recommendations as "madness".

"These new proposals represent an all-out and devastating attack on our communities and countryside. We will use every legal method at our disposal to make sure they never see the light of the day. I call on all those who oppose this excessive development in Hampshire to support us," he added.

Leader of the city council's Tory group Freddie Allgood (pictured), said there was "no justification" for the development of so many homes.

Conservative county councillor for Itchen Valley Sue Glasspool stressed: "I and my colleagues will not pull any punches in sinking these outrageous proposals. We will stop the government in its tracks."

The Tories will be pressing for the total rejection of the panel's proposals and closer consultation between the government, local councils and community groups on housing strategy.

They also want new housing development on brownfield sites to be increased to 70 per cent, rather than a reduction from 60 to 50 per cent as recommended by the panel.

Meanwhile, Winchester Liberal Democrats have urged local residents, as well as Hampshire MPs and MEPs, to write to John Prescott expressing their concerns over the potential destruction of the environment.

"It raises fears that we could soon have no countryside left between Winchester and Maidstone," complained city council planning committee chairman Rodney Sabine. "Local need for increased housing can never amount to such a number - it can only mean increased migration and turn the South into a vast commuter land."

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