FOUR hundred new jobs and a multi-million pound boost to the local economy could be lost as the axe looms over ambitious plans to build a state-of-the-art private hospital on the edge of Southampton.

Planners are set to reject proposals put forward by one of Europe’s biggest healthcare providers for a site that has been empty for years.

At a time when thousands are facing unemployment across the county, the development hangs in the balance as Test Valley councillors are being urged by planning chiefs to throw out the scheme.

Currently the undeveloped land at Adanac Park in Nursling only has permission for business use, so landowners Barker-Mill Estates has asked the council for permission to extend that use to include medical facilities.

In the past three years they have struggled to attract a suitable business interested in building offices on the plot next to the Ordnance Survey’s new headquarters. Now healthcare firm Circle, has shown strong interest in developing the land into a “prestigious health care facility”.

Circle, which has several private hospitals across the country, turned its attentions to Adanac Park after initial plans to build a £30m hospital in Chilworth Science Park were dropped because the site was considered inappropriate.

Outline plans for Nursling include a three or four storey building with 427 parking spaces, which they claim will create 413 jobs and £70m investment in the Test Valley area.

However in a report to the Test Valley’s southern area planning committee, officers recommend that councillors should refuse the application.

They say that “insufficient evidence” has been submitted to show an overriding need for a hospital and that allowing a change of use just two-and-a-half years after granting the original permission was “premature”.

The report also includes opposition from Nursling and Rownhams Parish Council, which fears the hospital will bring extra traffic to the area’s already congested roads.

Parish clerk Lorraine Wheeler said: “Traffic is a major concern for us as the Ordnance Survey site is already causing tailbacks.

“With a hospital people will be coming and going at different times throughout the day and night and so will screaming ambulances.”

Tim Jobling, from the Barker-Mill Estates, told the Daily Echo he found it hard to believe the council would prefer to see the site remain redundant when there was the opportunity to deliver hundreds of jobs and investment.

He said: “We believe this is a significant opportunity to secure investment for south Hampshire and crucially hundreds of new jobs for the local area.”

The application will be discussed by councillors on Tuesday.