HAMPSHIRE residents walked out ‘in disgust’ after a controversial housing plan was agreed.

Around 50 members took the action after planning applications for new houses were approved in Netley.

The plan to build 89 new dwellings in the town was approved for the site on the north side of Grange road in Netley Abbey.

The meeting of six councillors from the Bursledon, Hamble and Netley area committee saw Councillor for Hamble and Butlocks Heath Elizabeth Lear vote against the application, but she was the only one to do so.

Councillor Lear said: “Our town is at the mercy of developers and that area can’t handle it.“I feel very sorry for our residents. Traffic on that road is narrow and it is a very busy road, the access is not a good idea.

"There has been a lot of development around and this strategic gap is the last one between us and Woolston.”

Filed by Stratlands Estates Ltd, the approval of the development application has riled community members with the continued building of more houses.

Zoe Walne, 38, a resident from Butlocks Heath said: “People simply don’t want it. From a residential point of view, the local services can’t and won’t be able to cope.

“The land that they want to build on has water running down into it as well, it’s like a marsh land.

"The only reason they have approved this is because they can’t keep up with the demand for housing.”

However, Councillor for Netley Abbey, David Airey was pleased with the outcome.

Councillor Airey said: “I can understand why residents were upset and why they may rather not have new buildings on that site.

"It complies with the national policy framework and it is sustainable.

“That site is in walking distance to shops, trains and buses.

"It is a strategic gap but we felt that it did not impinge strongly on the gap between Southampton and Netley.”