EASTLEIGH MP Chris Huhne has condemned plans to turn Hamble airfield into a gravel pit, ahead of a crunch meeting today.

The Energy Secretary accused the airfield’s landowner, Persimmon Homes, of having long-term plan to turn the site into a lucrative housing development.

The Liberal Democrat MP’s comments come ahead of today’s meeting of Hampshire County Council to decide whether or not to approve the proposals as part of the county’s Minerals and Waste Plan.

Hamble Airfield is one of five sites across the county that have been earmarked in the 20-year plan for new gravel and sand pits.

Mr Huhne said: “Hamble is a peninsula with difficult and congested access, which makes this proposed gravel pit particularly inappropriate.

“The site is owned by Persimmon, a housebuilder, which probably has a longterm interest in turning what will become a brownfield site into a housing estate at enormous gain.

“I am particularly concerned about the apparent conflict of interest here since Persimmon and its founder are long-standing donors to the Conservative Party, which in turn controls Hampshire County Council and the consent for gravel pits.”

Electoral Commission records show that Persimmon’s founder and life president Duncan Davidson has made four personal donations to the party totalling £32,000 in the past ten years.

However Persimmon Homes South Coast managing director Andrew Golawski said: “Persimmon Homes South Coast has not made any contributions to any political party in the last ten years at least and we have asked Chris Huhne’s office to retract this comment.

“The site is currently being considered for mineral extraction by Hampshire County Council and at this stage it’s too early to say what our intentions for the land will be after this process.”

Hampshire County Council leader Ken Thornber also demanded that Mr Huhne retract his “totally untrue”

statement.

“Not only have these allegations been publicly refuted by me but I have received written confirmation from the managing director of Persimmon Homes that, and I quote, ‘no contribution has or will be made to any political party by Persimmon Homes’.”

Campaigners say they don’t want political point-scoring to get in the way of their objections.

Mark Denton, of Hamble’s Steering Group Against Gravel Extraction (STAGE), said: “It doesn’t matter about all the political undertones.

At the end of the day Hamble Airfield isn’t suitable or sustainable for gravel extraction.

“That’s because of its proximity to homes, businesses and school, plus the fact that its only access is on one of the busiest B roads in the country.”

New sites for gravel and sand pits are earmarked for Hythe, Ringwood Forest and Longparish.

There are also proposals to extend existing quarries at Bleak Hill, Harbridge, north of Ringwood Forest and at Mortimer West End in Basingstoke.

If councillors approve the plan in Winchester today, it will then have to be passed by Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, South Downs National Park Authority and the New Forest National Park Authority.

A Government planning inspector will also be reviewing the proposals next year.

Location of Hamble Airfield