CAMPAIGNERS have suffered a further blow in their battle to prevent housing estates engulfing greenfield sites in a fast-growing New Forest town.

Three of the south's biggest builders have submitted a joint application to build 235 homes on rural land at Hazel Farm, Totton.

District councillors have also approved a controversial bid to construct almost 70 houses on land at nearby Testwood House Farm.

Protesters say Totton is paying the price for a boom in the housing market.

The Calmore application has been submitted by Alfred McAlpine Homes Southern in conjunction with other housebuilding giants Barratt and Wimpey.

They have devised a multi-million-pound plan to develop a 21-acre site off Calmore Road and Oleander Drive.

The scheme has horrified countryside campaigners, who have already seen huge areas of rural land swallowed up by developers.

George Dart, chairman of the town council's planning and transport committee, said: "I've seen Totton go from an attractive village to a mini Basingstoke.

"About 75 per cent of the former farmland at West Totton has been built on, or is scheduled to built on in the future."

Fellow councillor Di Brooks said: "Totton is already choked with traffic and hasn't got the road structure to cope with another increase in homes.

"But developers are building on every little bit of green land in the town."

Calmore councillor Fiona Downer warned that the plans at Hazel Farm would place extra strain on doctors, dentists and schools.

The scheme is set to come under fire at a town council meeting next week. But the site was allocated for housing several years ago, which may mean the district council has little choice but to allow the scheme.

Meanwhile, the authority has approved plans by Linden Homes Southern to build 69 houses on the Testwood House Farm site off Greenfields Avenue.

Hampshire County Council recently rejected a plea from residents to register the land as a village green and protect it from development.

The proposed estate includes 19 acres of public open space.

Totton councillor Bill Catt claimed the site was currently a "terrible mess" - and said the scheme submitted by Linden Homes would benefit the town.

Terry Massingham, managing director of Alfred McAlpine Homes, was unavailable to comment on criticisms of the Hazel Farm scheme.