A NOTORIOUS town centre eyesore is about to disappear following a long planning battle that ended in victory for one of Britain's biggest house builders.

McCarthy & Stone has embarked on a multi-million-pound project to transform a rubbish-strewn piece of land in Ringwood Road in Totton.

The company is bulldozing a row of derelict houses and removing heaps of rubble that have blighted the site for years.

Once the clearance is complete, work will start on 48 retirement flats due to be finished by the end of next year.

Workmen have moved on to the site following the end of a two-year wrangle between McCarthy & Stone and New Forest District Council.

The company's first planning proposal was rejected in 2003 and two revised schemes were also thrown out.

Bosses lodged an appeal and in December last year, government-appointed planning inspector Neil Pope approved both revised schemes after rejecting the council's arguments.

His report said: "The proposals would enhance the existing mix of shops, businesses and residential uses and would add to the vitality and variety of the town centre.

"They would create a high quality development that would improve the character and quality of the area."

Now McCarthy & Stone has started work on one of the schemes.

Totton and Eling Town Council, which supported the company's applications to transform the site, is delighted that work has started.

Town clerk Derek Biggs said: "We're extremely pleased that, at long last, we're going to lose an eyesore in the middle of the town.

"We were very disappointed with the stance taken by the district council, which didn't seem to be in the best interests of Totton."

The district council defended its decision to reject the schemes, saying it disliked the designs.