PLANS for a 6,000-home eco-town on the north Cotswolds' doorstep will lead to the area being "butchered".

That is the view of Cotswold District Council leader Lynden Stowe, whose cabinet agreed last week to take action if the government short lists the "Middle Quinton" development at Long Marston.

Cllr Stowe, who lives in Mickleton, only couple of miles from the proposed site, said the scheme would be an environmental disaster for the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"This is not going to be an eco-beehive, with everything staying inside. There's probably going to be another 10,000 motorcars driving round the area and all the associated HGVs," said Cllr Stowe.

"You have got to put the infrastructure for an eco-town and, in my opinion, that will involve large-scale butchery of the Cotswolds," he added.

CDC cabinet members agreed that, if the Long Marston scheme is shortlisted, Campden-Vale ward members, including Cllr Stowe, Cllr Julie Girling and Cllr Sue Jepson, should participate in the joint working group into the impact of the development, along with representatives of Stratford and Wychavon District Councils and Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire County Councils.

Cllr Girling, who is also GCC cabinet member for the environment, described the proposed development as an "eco-blight".

"You don't build what is, in effect, a new town and pretend people aren't going to drive out of it.

Let's hope it doesn't appear on the shortlist. If it does we are going to have to mount a campaign against it," said Cllr Girling.

Opposition to the proposal to develop the 240-hectare site at the former Royal Engineers depot is mounting.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England called on Hazel Blears, secretary of state for communities and local government, to drop Long Marston from the list of possible eco-towns.

Mark Sullivan, technical secretary for CPRE Warwickshire branch, said: "Eco-towns are supposed to be new forms of development which minimise consumption of natural resources, including fuel and power, and thus carbon dioxide emissions.

"But they will never be self-sustaining, effective communities if they are sited in the wrong places.

"The CPRE Warwickshire branch is of the firm opinion that to build Middle Quinton' at the Long Marston depot site would be an unmitigated disaster."

On Monday, (feb 25) opponents of the proposal by developers St Modwen's handed a 1,000-signature petition to Stratford District Council chairman Stuart Beese, and held a silent protest outside the council's headquarters.