PLANS to sell three axed Waterside school sites to property developers have cleared their first major hurdle.

County chiefs want to sell off land at Langdown County Infant School in Hythe, Holbury Infant School and Blackfield Infant School.

The sites were made redundant after falling pupil numbers prompted Hampshire County Council to carry out a major review into education provision on the Waterside last year.

They made the controversial decision to create three new primary schools by merging Langdown Infant and Junior, Holbury Infant and Junior and Blackfield Infant and Junior.

Members of New Forest District Council's planning committee approved applications for outline planning permission on Wednesday, subject to legal agreement on public open space and affordable housing provision.

Richard Barry, from the estates practice team at Hampshire County Council, told them: "Nobody likes schools closing but there is a strong educational rationale for this."

He added: "The net result will be a major investment in educational provision in this area."

The county council says it needs to sell the land to developers to raise cash towards the huge cost of redeveloping the new primary schools.

The plans are at a very early stage but county bosses needed outline planning consent to confirm the suitability of each site in principle for residential development before inviting offers.

They did indicate that they wanted approval for 25 homes to be built on the Holbury site and 27 flats and houses to be built on the Langdown site.

They did not disclose how many homes they wanted provisional approval to build in Blackfield.

Wayne Fawson, a resident of Fulmar Drive in Hythe, lives very near to the Langdown Infant site.

He told the committee: "I have lived in a bungalow in Fulmar Drive for 23 years. This proposal will stop my privacy. At the moment I can sit in my garden and no one can see but if this goes ahead, people will be able to."

Committee members stressed that full planning details will need to be approved at a later date before building can commence.

They said they will pay particular attention to whether neighbouring properties will be overlooked by the new developments.