A Warwickshire MP has described Government claims that the area needs thousands of new homes as "completely misleading".

In The Birmingham Post last week housing minister Caroline Flint, making the case for the controversial ‘eco-towns’, said the two potential Midland sites had 6,000 families waiting for affordable housing.

But Stratford-upon-Avon's Conservative MP John Maples, whose constituency takes in one of the proposed sites, said the minister’s figures were completely wrong.

He said only 214 people had an immediate need for new housing in the area, as opposed to the thousands claimed by the minister.

"I want to give her the real facts concerning housing need in Stratford district," said Mr Maples, in an article written for The Birmingham Post. "Hopefully we can then draw a line through this flawed argument and the unpopular eco-town plan once and for all.

"The need for social housing certainly does not support her case."

He also said the development would be too much of a burden on an already over-developed area, saying scenic Stratford-upon-Avon would have its status as a tourist destination damaged by the new development.

He said he would be using "all his powers and influence as the MP" to work with local campaigners to stop the eco-town going ahead in Long Marston.

The majority of residents in the small village of Long Marston are against building an eco-town on disused MOD land nearby.

The Government says the eco-towns, ten of which are planned for a shortlist of 15 sites across England, are vital to provide affordable housing.

But critics say the rural Long Marston site would not have the infrastructure to support such a huge site - the equivalent of building nearby Stratford-upon-Avon over again.

And they have accused the Government of political opportunism, pointing out that the majority of the potential sites are located in solidly Conservative-voting areas.

The eco-towns were touted as an environmentally friendly solution to the national shortage of affordable housing.

The Government has set up a panel of 14 leading figures from the world of design, the environment, transport and sustainability, to provide advice and support to developers bidding for the building contracts.

The panel is led by John Walker, the former chief executive of the British Urban Regeneration Association, and an expert in the delivery of large mixed use developments.

Housing minister Caroline Flint said: ""Only the best bids with the highest environmental standards stand a chance of being selected as an eco town.

"The Panel will have a vital role in encouraging and inspiring developers to aim as high as possible in each potential location.

"There are no done deals and I expect bidders to raise their game by taking on board the expert advice available to them, to make the most of this unique opportunity to deliver the affordable, greener homes our first time buyers and young families desperately need."

Campaigners welcomed the move but said they were still worried that not enough attention was being paid to the needs of the local surroundings.

David Bliss, chairman of the Bard Campaign said: It’s good that the DCLG is seeking outside advice on the suitability of sites. We just hope at least one of the panel will bother to visit the areas in question.

"We’d happily host their visit. That way we’d quite quickly demonstrate how inappropriate a new town of this size would be at Long Marston and how expensive it would be to try and build the necessary infrastructure in order to make it successful and eco-friendly