A councillor has urged campaigners against housing in the A31 corridor around Alton to stick together in their bid to help save Jane Austen Country.

Cllr Matthew Kellermann, who serves on Alton Town Council and chairs Reform East Hampshire, said: "I have repeatedly made clear my opposition to the building on greenfield sites in East Hampshire.

“Farmland is being destroyed by housing, solar plants and wind turbines when it should be used to produce high quality food.”

East Hampshire District Council cannot demonstrate that the district has a five-year housing land supply.

This makes the Alton area vulnerable to speculative housing planning applications which can only be refused if their adverse impacts “significantly and demonstrably” outweigh their benefits.

Cllr Kellermann said: “Alton and the A31 corridor are on the front line. I have opposed the proposed development of both Neatham Down and Chawton Park Farm as wholly inappropriate.

“In addition, Neatham Down sets the precedent for development of hitherto untouched land between the A31 and the South Downs National Park.

“It is my fear that once this foothold is achieved, we will see more and more land along the corridor being developed and face amalgamation of our unique rural communities into a characterless suburban sprawl.

“Residents should be acutely aware that the limited protections provided by Neighbourhood and Local Plans hold almost no weight when the aforementioned land supply is absent.”

Fearing “further strain on the already creaking local infrastructure”, Cllr Kellermann concluded: “I accept that there is a need for affordable homes in the area but building large estates on greenfield sites is not, in my opinion, the solution.

“Given the diktats from Westminster, it is my opinion that it is only by banding together to oppose all these various proposed developments that there is any chance of successfully resisting the ruination of our communities."