New government figures say Winchester City Council is required to build 12,740 homes over the next 20 years – an increase of 500 on the last predicted figure – as part of the government's South East Plan Review.

The council covers the rural Meon Valley, including Whiteley, Wickham and Bishop's Waltham.

In total it is now facing a figure that is up 2,300 houses on the original 2006 draft plan.

Winchester City Council leader Councillor George Beckett said: 'Since the draft South East Plan in 2006 Winchester district has seen an increase of 22 per cent in its required housing numbers, the largest increase in Hampshire.

'We are committed to providing a sound framework for local planning but these increases will make it harder to do so without greenfield development.'

More than 3,000 residents and stakeholders from across the district contributed to Winchester's recent consultation on its Local Development Framework – a document which will guide how the region develops over the next 20 years in the context of the wider South East Plan.

Initial plans have pencilled in up to 5,000 of the new homes on land to the north and east of Whiteley, while Bishop's Waltham, Wickham and Knowle could see about 1,000 more houses each.

Cllr Beckett said he hoped that development would not ruin the communities.

He said: 'Within Wickham, Bishop's Waltham and Knowle there was extremely strong opposition to the option of large-scale development at any of these locations.

'I hope that in these areas it will be possible to limit growth to a level consistent with the role of the key market towns.

'Many of the responses we received were in favour of the development of Whiteley, recognising that this could help to resolve some of infrastructure problems that the village currently faces.'

Council officers will carry out further study of the data from the consultation, and a 'preferred options' paper will be produced in the autumn when all the research and analysis is complete.