Mr Garnier spoke to housing minister Margaret Beckett on Tuesday last week at the House of Commons with Leicester MPs Sir Peter Soulsby and Keith Vaz.

Mr Garnier said afterwards: "The minister stated expressly at the very outset that she was in listening mode.

" We were all able to tell her in no uncertain terms that there is cross-party opposition to this new town from all affected constituencies and local authorities.

"It was heartening to have three MPs putting aside the usual party political differences to get something done to help our local residents and although she kept her cards close to her chest Margaret Beckett certainly did not respond as her predecessors have.

"I sense a change of mood but we have a long way to go before we will know what the Government intend to do."

*Video clips have been released of the most recent eco-town public meeting.

About 400 people attended a forum at Leicester University's conference centre in Oadby on January 16 where concerns were raised over the 15,000-home proposal.

Seven film clips taken from the meeting have been placed on video-sharing website YouTube.

Featured in the videos – totalling nearly 35 minutes – are speeches by Mr Garnier, Harborough district and county councillor Simon Galton, MEP Roger Helmer and Campaign Against the Stoughton Co-op Eco-Town (Cascet) chairman Kevin Feltham.

They can be seen by clicking the link below:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OsVg4W9uQTA&feature=channel