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Eco town development - updates - Alan Baker (27th Jan 2009 - 12:28:18) Just spotted a couple of news articles on the BBC about the eco towns. This page shows all the proposed sites - news.bbc.co.uk/... This news article is about the High Court bid to block eco-towns - news.bbc.co.uk/...

Re: Eco town development - updates - Chris (27th Jan 2009 - 13:22:48) EHDC actively supports the Bordon one and as there has been virtually no organised protest against it it is likely to succeed unless the appeal process goes beyond Labour's tenure in office and the next government plans to scupper the whole idea.

Re: Eco town development - updates - Dawn Hoskins (27th Jan 2009 - 13:58:59) I found this update on EHDC website. Eco-town update: Legendary designer Wayne Hemingway backs Bordon Legendary designer Wayne Hemingway MBE is backing Whitehill Bordon’s bid for Eco-town status. Wayne, the co-founder of the fashion label Red or Dead, was on the Government’s ‘challenge panel’ which looked at each of the Eco-town bids. He is also the chairman of Building for Life - an organisation which promotes excellence in the quality of design of new housing. The 47-year-old also runs Hemingway Design with his wife Gerardine (CORRECT). The award-winning company specialises in affordable, well-designed housing. Wayne was awarded an MBE in 2006 and he lives in Chichester , West Sussex . He met with East Hampshire District Council’s chief executive Will Godfrey and revealed that he would like to support Whitehill Bordon’s bid to become an Eco-town. He says the site has potential to become something very special. Will Godfrey said: “I am thrilled that Wayne is on board and wants to help us make Whitehill Bordon a better place. “He has tremendous experience in this field and his ideas will add enormous value to the project. “Wayne has led some great pioneering projects and I am looking forward to working with him. Wayne said: “Having had a home in West Sussex for the past 20 years I have regularly passed Whitehill Bordon whilst travelling on the A3 or on the Waterloo to Portsmouth train line. “It’s always been clear that it’s a wonderful location that will benefit economically and socially from environmentally sympathetic development and if we all think creatively and work hard to connect the site to the tantalisingly close national public transport links we can help to create a town that really does live up to the brand Eco-town . “I am looking forward over the next few months and years to getting to know more about the site and the community.” Cllr Ian Dowdle, Portfolio Holder for Whitehill Bordon, has already met with Wayne and plans to take him on a detailed tour of the town. Cllr Dowdle said: “I am meeting Wayne in early January to show him around the town and we both want to do the tour on bicycles.”

Re: Eco town development - updates - Dawn Hoskins (27th Jan 2009 - 14:09:49) …and amazingly the Eco Town also gets a mention of Wikipedia! A mine of information Bordon is a town in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies 5.4 miles (8.7km) southeast of Alton and forms a part of the civil parish of Whitehill, the adjoining village. Both settlements are on theA325 and close to the A3 between London and Portsmouth. Originating as an army camp, the town is now losing its military role and is hoping to be redeveloped as an Eco Town. The town has several shops spread out over the area but no central location such as a high street since the town was historically an army camp on a former toll road to Farnham, not a market-town like the nearby towns of Petersfield, Alton and Farnham. The town has a large supermarket, a convenience store, a small shopping centre with three supermarkets, two petrol stations, a tattoo parlour and various takeaway and video rental outlets,and local radio station Delta FM. It also has Mill Chase Community Technology College, a secondary school designated a technical college which doubles as a leisure centre. Historically, the town was an important army base with a railway station, as is nearby Aldershot. The camp was first laid out in 1899 by the Highland Light Infantry, directed by Royal Engineers, and following interruption by the Second Boer War, was occupied by the army from 1903. The first occupants of Quebec barracks were the Somersetshire Light Infantry, returning from South Africa in April, and the 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment arrived at St. Lucia Barracks from South Africa in June. Bordon Camp was home to the Canadian Army during both of the world wars and the town is dotted with concrete slabs on which tanks and armoured cars were parked. The Longmoor Army Ranges, a large forest with tracks and firing ranges, is south of the town. Bordon railway station was linked to both the main railway network, and by light railway to the Longmoor Military Railway. The old track bed at Longmoor, especially between Greatham and Whitehill, is open to be used permissively by walkers and cyclists. It is the birthplace of war hero WRNS Pam Price (nee Hill). Proposed Eco-town site Bordon is one of 13 towns in the running for Eco-town status and is the only prospective Eco-town which has the backing of its local authority, East Hampshire District Council. Local people and the Whitehill Town Council gave their support to a project called the 'Green Town Vision' over two years ago. The aim of the Green Town Vision is to ensure that new development in Whitehill and Bordon will bring about regeneration while protecting the natural environment. The Government's plans for Eco-towns fit very closely with the Green Town Vision and so East Hampshire District Council made a bid for Whitehill and Bordon. The district council is currently consulting with residents about how the proposed Eco-town should look, where development should take place and sorting out priorities. The Ministry of Defence has decided to relocate armed forces training from Whitehill Bordon to St Athan in South Wales. This decision means that up to 600 acres (2.4 km2) of land will be released from 2011, enabling 5,500 homes to be built and up to 7,000 jobs to be created, with a new town centre and associated infrastructure. Transport Both Bordon and Whitehill straddle the busy A325 road and the A3 road London to Portsmouth road passes through the parish. Completion of the Hindhead Tunnel, due for 2011, will improve road access to London. The nearest railway station is 4 miles (6.5km) southeast of the town, at Liphook. There is a bus link to Liphook railway station, and Stagecoach bus 18 passes through the town on the way from Haslemere to Farnham and Aldershot. Stagecoach bus 13 passes through as it travels between Liphook and Alton (on week days, during college hours, not during school holidays) Bus 211 travels between Bordon and Whitehill.

Re: Eco town development - updates - Chris (27th Jan 2009 - 15:39:39) ...it's that last paragraph that is a concern. The idea of an eco-town is to guarantee local sustainability in terms of jobs and infrastructure. However, that is a pipe dream as there will be no law saying that the new residents cannot work away from Bordon. Liphook will find itself being one big car park if the old Bordon station is not re-opened to cater for the influx.

Re: Eco town development - updates - Rhys G (27th Jan 2009 - 18:13:00) Another short article here.

Re: Eco town development - updates - Sue W (27th Jan 2009 - 18:44:57) The latest I read was that the contractors, building the new site for the army has withdrawn and if there were no forth-coming contractor to undertake the build the whole move would be deferred or possibly cancelled. Of the many publishing’s about the exact consequences one stuck in my mind the most. All house owners would only be allowed ONE car!!! Many people would find this totally unacceptable and unworkable as their freedom to go when and where they like would stop and have to work around some pathetic bus company and train robber’s timetables. I do agree with a concerted development of Bordon, it lacks so much that other Towns take for granted, but not at the freedom of individuals. Just imagine Liphook residents being told they have to only have ONE car, after all we already have a Station and Bus service - albeit a poor one - but there is no guarantee that Bordon would have a Station or any more busses!

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