WE need home-grown food and jobs must come first. That was the view of Test Valley councillors who - despite a barrage of objections - gave the green light to a controversial scheme to retain polytunnels in the countryside at West Wellow near Romsey.

Objectors claimed that fertilisers and other chemical run-offs from the commercial fruit farm next to grade two listed King's Farm in the village could damage the eco-system of the River Blackwater valley but the site's owners Littlebrook Nurseries who have built polytunnels to protect their crops without planning permission dismissed their fears.

The majority of the area now used for soft fruit production is on a former pig farm site and open fields.

Debating the plans some councillors expressed their own fears about possible problems with lorries using the narrow lanes leading to the site in Foxes Lane.

But the crux of the application - submitted by Richard and and Vernon Emery - for councillors was the jobs and the future viability of the fruit farm if planning permission was refused.

Romsey's Tadburn ward member, Mark Cooper didn't beat about the bush where he stood on the proposals. "This site is in the countryside and with 64 million people on our tiny island to feed we have got to intensify our agricultural. If people want to avoid industrialised farming they should not live in the countryside," said Mr Cooper, adding that the Environment Agency and the council's own landscape officer had not objected to the plans for the 7.5 hectare site.

King's Somborne and Michelmersh ward borough councillor Tony Ward said he would sooner eat British grown fruit grown under polytunnels than imports from aboard.

He added that with this country's unreliable weather, the only way to grow fruit is under polytunnels and he didn't see anything wrong with that.

Blackwater ward member Nick Adams-King whose patch covers Wellow told his colleagues at Tuesday's southern area planning committee when the application was debated that there had been a lot of opposition to the proposals in the village but there was also some support.

"We need to be conscious that we are not living in an agricultural theme park. The only way this can be sustainable for food is the polytunnels," said Mr Adams-King who tried but failed to get his colleagues to agree to get a lorry routing and other conditions imposed on the fruit farm operators.

The proposals got the thumbs up from Nursling and Rownhams borough councillor, Nigel Anderdon. Mr Anderdon said: "The fruit farm is a very professional set up and I don't think there are any dangers of run off from the site. This is much better than houses there."

However, not all councillors backed the scheme, former Romsey mayor Peter Hurst attacked it, claiming the polytunnels would have a detrimental impact on grade two listed King's Farmhouse.

"I do find it difficult to oppose polytunnels per say given that this council have given permission for three solar farms, but my main concerns are for the grade two listed King's farm house. This is an historic building and it needs to be in a setting that supports an historic farm. I'd prefer to see a planning application that is more sympathetic to King's Farm," said Mr Hurst.

Wellow Parish council objected to the proposals claiming the polytunnels were detrimental to the site and the listed building.

Objector Anthony Carter who lives near the site said he believed the fruit farm's plans were "unsound" and he claimed they would affect the eco-system of the River Blackwater.

The applicants agent Richard Goodall told the planning committee that 90 per cent of a planting scheme to screen the polytunnels had been done. He also stated that polytunnels were vital for growing fruit and that they would be moved around the site due to the seasonality of fruit.