A MAJOR opponent of a plan to build a controversial new town at Winchfield will stand for election to Hart District Council this May.
Andrew Renshaw, who is chairman of Winchfield Parish Council, has been selected as Conservative candidate for the Hartley Wintney ward, which covers Winchfield.
The 67-year-old will fight for the seat currently occupied by Cllr Sara Kinnell, who is moving to contest a seat in the ward where she lives, Fleet West.
As reported in The Gazette, members of Hart District Council agreed to test Winchfield as a potential site for a new development for thousands of homes.
Its preferred strategy for future house growth would see between 1,800 and 2,400 homes built in the village in the first phase, with up to 5,000 homes built in total.
Mr Renshaw has spoken out against the development and said his 45-acre cattle farm will not be included in any development of the village.
In a statement, Mr Renshaw said: “If elected, this will give me an opportunity to be closer to the decision making process at Hart as it draws up its Local Plan.
“Of course I am totally opposed to a new settlement at Winchfield, but I believe it would be ruinous for the whole district, not just our village community.
“It’s a high-risk policy, which could easily lead to the failure of the whole plan.”
Winchfield Action Group, set up in 2011 to fight plans to build a new town at Winchfield, backed Mr Renshaw.
In a statement on its website, it said: “We would encourage everyone to support Andrew Renshaw in his efforts to become a Hart councillor in the May elections and work towards a Hart Local Plan that distributes development fairly around the district and maintains Hart as the best place to live in Britain.”
Three Conservative councillors currently represent the Hartley Wintney ward – Cllrs Kinnell, Anne Crampton and Tim Southern.
Cllr Crampton will seek re-election in May, while Cllr Kinnell’s seat will also be contested.
It is not yet clear who else will contest Cllr Kinnell’s seat, but at the 2014 election, UKIP, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party were all represented.
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