CHAMPAGNE corks were popping when campaigning residents of Eastleigh's huge Aviary estate

won a battle to protect the area's prized green spaces from being swallowed by development.

Residents packing the council gallery cheered when Eastleigh councillors pledged in April not to sell land on the Aviary estate for housing.

But, now, angry locals say they are dismayed over what they claim is a U-turn which will see a Woodpecker Way "garage plot site" - the majority of which is currently vacant - sold off to Eastleigh Housing Association for the construction of up to seven houses.

And councillors have also given the go-ahead for another garage site in Falcon Square to be sold to the association for social housing purposes.

Woodpecker Way resident Michael Brown said: "We were given to think that the Aviary estate was a protected area but now the council seems to be back-pedalling. We are very angry about the situation because the green lungs are so important."

Meanwhile, Labour councillor Marilyn Birks - a leading supporter of last April's campaign - has hit out at secrecy surrounding the move.

The item had been discussed behind closed doors by the council executive and was scheduled to be discussed in private again at this week's full council meeting until council leader Keith House announced the matter would be part of the public proceedings.

Ms Birks said: "Most councillors did not know which plots of land were up for sale when they accepted the minute from the executive.

"No-one of the Liberal Democrat group seemed to care about protective policies which they helped to make earlier in the year."

Ms Birks said that she was "very supportive" about finding land for social housing but added: "I do not agree with important issues relating to the sale of land not being debated in the public domain.

"It seems as if something underhand is happening when the items are taken as exempt business when, as the council meeting showed, they did not have to be exempt.

"The leader of the council has not established a transparent and accountable decision-making system. He has not followed good practice of allowing public access to information - he will only do it (in this instance) after the decision has been made.

"Good local and democratic government should set its decision making in a context of ongoing consultation and involvement of stakeholders, before as well as after decisions have been taken."

But Mr House told the Daily Echo: "The decision was taken in public and every councillor had a report detailing the sites in front of them."

He said Labour councillors knew there was a desperate need for affordable housing in Eastleigh and added: "They vote against every proposal in Eastleigh which comes forward. Do they really care?"

The council leader said residents wanted protection of open spaces and the character of the estate - and that was exactly what the council had delivered in its local plan.

"These are garage sites and not an integral part of the open spaces. Labour's objection shows they are not interested in finding homes for local people," he claimed.