SCORES of fearful residents will take to a Hampshire woodland to oppose council plans to build a road through the area.

The newly-formed Against Destructive Development group will hold the Bluebell Protest against Eastleigh Borough Council’s latest proposals for the local plan, including eight options for council developments.

The group contests two options in the proposal being considered for the Local Plan 2011-2036 which suggest the development of a major road to serve a potential 6,000 new dwellings between Bishopstoke, Fair Oak, Upham, Colden Common and Allbrook.

The consultation for the proposals has now closed and the council is deliberating the feedback from residents ahead of announcing the final decision at a date yet to be announced.

But around 150 concerned residents will be hosting a protest starting at Stoke Park Woods today over moves they say would be “detrimental to the future of Eastleigh”.

One is a proposal for the expansion of Fair Oak and Bishopstoke with further development in Allbrook and could provide for up to 3,700 dwellings according to council documents and 29,000m squared of employment to the north and north-east of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak villages and Allbrook.

This option proposes new road links north of Fair Oak, through Allbrook to junction 12 of the M3 and the council suggests new road links between Fair Oak and M3 have the potential to reduce congestion, if they can be delivered but more testing is needed.

The second option is to expand Fair Oak, which could provide up to 2,500 dwellings east of Fair Oak.

Both plans would affect the country between Bishopstoke, Fair Oak, Upham, Colden Common and Allbrook.

The group is made up of residents from Bishopstoke, Fair Oak, Upham, Owslebury, Allbrook, and Colden Common and organisations include Stoke Residents Association, South Hampshire branch of CPRE, Highbridge Residents, Upham Parish Council, Colden Common Residents and Owslebury Parish Council.

Kate Beal Blyth of Colden Common Residents said: “We found that so many residents living in the surrounding areas felt passionately against developing this rare and beautiful countryside that we have decided to work together to convince Eastleigh Borough Council that to do so is inappropriate and destructive.”

All candidates for the local borough and parish elections next week have been invited to join the walk and four independent candidates for Bishopstoke Parish Council, Ann Dean, Johanna Francis Louise Parker-Jones and Gin Tidridge have confirmed they will be walking.

Protesters will meet at the Stoke Park Road entrance to Stoke Park Wood in Bishopstoke at 2.30pm to then walk through the woods and end at the garden centre in Brambridge.