TIDWORTH needs an extra 2,000 additional private homes otherwise its business, leisure and social facilities will wither away, says the town's most senior policy making group.

The Tidworth Community Area Partnership has backed the need for the extra homes and supported a presentation made by Kennet District Council and Tidworth and District Chamber of Commerce to a planning inspector at a public inquiry.

The groups told the examination in public into the Wiltshire and Swindon Structure plan that Tidworth's economy had 'struggled for many years and is slowly dying on its feet'.

Despite having a population of 10,000 people Tidworth lacks a sizeable quality supermarket, building societies, specialist retail shops and offices supported by several pubs and restaurants, some industry, a heart to the community and the community spirit of a country town.

Instead the town has the facilities of a village, lacks quality and has the feel of a community with a transient population because the military makes up almost three-quarters of the inhabitants.

The extra private housing would help to redress the balance and the campaigners are hopeful that the inspector will rule in their favour.

"Although the inspector's findings will not be known until the autumn I feel that we have firmly put a stake in the ground and stated our case to start the ball rolling in supporting the point that Tidworth is a special case," said chamber chairman David Wildman.

Ideally the town might need a civilian population of 50 per cent but that aspiration looked unlikely said Roger Prescott from Halcrow, consultants who have produced an economic development strategy for the community area.

"The economy is fragile and narrowly based around the MoD," he said.

"Demand is precarious as when the boys are out of town the opportunity for expenditure reduces and there is a danger that dependence on the military will increase with Project Allenby."

This was confirmed by Colonel Carron Snagge, the garrison commander, who confirmed that the policy of moving soldiers into Tidworth as part of the project would do nothing to help redress the population imbalance.