MEREHAM campaigners were out on Ely Market Place adding more signatures to their petition to stop the new town. They braved the elements, picking up an extra 157 signatures, bringing the total on their petition to 9,542. The latest move in their campaign

MEREHAM campaigners were out on Ely Market Place adding more signatures to their petition to stop the new town.

They braved the elements, picking up an extra 157 signatures, bringing the total on their petition to 9,542.

The latest move in their campaign to halt the 5,000 home new town planned for farmland between Wilburton and Stretham comes as a Government inspector is due to make his decision on the future of the project.

But it is unlikely to be made public until Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has made her decision which is expected in September.

She plans to address a conference in London on May 15 setting out the Government's vision to empower communities to make a stronger contribution to the delivery of public services in their area.

The conference, which comes as the Government discusses a White Paper on the changes, is entitled: "Power to the people: Will the White Paper deliver?"

Alan James, a member of Haddenham's Say No to Mereham campaign said: "Well, we want to be empowered and devolved by Hazel taking a decision to support our wishes and our council's decision not to allow the building of Mereham and to stop the destruction of our communities and good productive farm land.

"Maybe we should hold an alternative conference during the Wilburton Beer Festival entitled: "Power to the people of East Cambridgeshire: Will Hazel deliver?"

Members of the group will be out again at Ely Market collecting more petition signatures on Saturday (May 3).