THIS has got to stop.

That's the message from a leading Test Valley councillor who is furious at plans to build homes near two important nature reserves in the Hampshire countryside.

Valley Park member Alan Dowden is outraged at Perbury Developments scheme to build five new homes in a field off Nutburn Road close to Emer Bog, a site of special area of conservation looked after by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

The nature reserve is home to common lizards, the slow-worm, the grass snake and Britain’s only poisonous snake, the adder.

Land around the mire also supports woodcock, woodlark, nightjars, tree pipit and the skylark which are declining in numbers around the UK.

It is also not far from Baddesley Common, another important protected wildlife habitat site.

Councillor Dowden said the government needs to act to stop this sort of thing happening until the borough council has an adopted local plan in place.

“We need action now. It’s no good after important protected wildlife sites have been destroyed by unplanned developments.

"Something has to be done and urgently. More and more development is going into the countryside where we would never allow it to go if there wasn’t a five year shortage of housing land supply. Emer Bog has European protection and could get any more than it has.

"There are all sorts of reptiles living there and these plans must not be approved. North Baddesley has already had more than enough development to satisfy the needs of people in the village."

"Local people and councillors are opposed to this development. It’s against Test Valley’s countryside policies and it will alter the rural nature of Nutburn Road is it is allowed,” said Mr Dowden.

The plans will be debated by the borough’s planning control members onTuesday and officers recommend that the scheme is approved.

They say that that “housing land supply is a significant material consideration that weighs in favour of the principle of development” and should go ahead.

But Mr Dowden disagrees. He added: “ It is about time the Government helped get local councils to get their plans in place and then this sort of thing would not be happening. Only the Government can stop it really.”

Perbury’s outline scheme, which was unanimously rejected by the borough’s southern area committee last month, includes five homes and car parking.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust also strongly oppose the plans and say an adopted Borough Local Plan needs to be in place to protect environmentally sensitive areas like Emer Bog.

English Nature is worried about the proposals, saying that the development is close to the European designated site.

And English Nature has also expressed concerns about the proposals. It says the proposed development is close to the European designated site and has the potential to affect its interest features.

Two years ago residents in the village lost a battle to stop a housing estate being built next to Baddesley Common, another high profile nature reserve.