OPPOSITION to a new town in the heart of Hampshire countryside will come to light at a meeting tonight.

Eagle Star Estates has resurrected plans for a new settlement at Micheldever Station, north of Winchester.

The company has been pressing for the town since 1990 but been repeatedly rebuffed.

Now it has submitted plans to the Government. It says it has altered them to make them more environmentally friendly and says the scheme will be "carbon neutral".

The main opposition group, the Dever Society, which has 7,000 members, has called the meeting.

Society vice-chairman Tessa Robertson said: "Eagle Star has reheated its discredited proposals to build a major new settlement at Micheldever Station Market Town. This is a cynical attempt to win support from the Government's eco-towns initiative.

"The plain fact is that Micheldever Station is simply the wrong place for a new town. That was spelt out just four months ago by the independent inspectors who reviewed the draft South East Plan."

The meeting will be held in the Warren Hall, Micheldever Station at 7.30pm.