PLANNING chiefs will today finally decide on whether to give controversial plans for a huge distribution park in Hampshire the green light.

Developers, who say their plans for the complex in Redbridge on the outskirts of Southampton will create hundreds of jobs, were sent back to the drawing board by council planners in August.

They will return to put their case, having made changes, to planners and opposition residents are expected to be out in force.

In August, the city council’s planning committee deferred a decision on whether it would give the plans the go ahead but did vote to turn down the recommendation to approve the application that was before them.

The new proposal is also recommended for approval.

Evander Properties signed an agreement to buy the 16-acre site, which is next to the Daily Echo offices in Test Lane, from the council.

It is currently a field but under the plans would be transformed with three new buildings – two storage and distribution units and a third for industrial use.

Evander claim the plans will create 750 jobs.

It has already downsized its plans following consultation with the public, cutting the size of one unit and adding a “linear park” of public land.

Daily Echo: The proposed site in Test Lane, Southampton, next to the Daily Echo office.

However, residents have fears about extra noise, air pollution, traffic, pressure on parking as well as loss of green space and flooding risks.

They have handed in a petition with 188 signatures to the council and have now even got their own artist’s impression of how the buildings would look, based on Evander’s proposals.

Eugene McManus, chairman of the Redbridge Residents’ Association, said it was still objecting to the development.

He said little had changed from the previous proposal and said they would be objecting on numerous grounds including inadequate parking for the 750 employees, its visual impact and pollution. Mr McManus said they had hoped the developer would revise the height of the buildings but it had not and he could not see any major changes other than measures to address traffic which he said did not go far enough.

Daily Echo:

“It changes the landscape forever in the area and we believe it’s the sheer scale of this development which makes it unsuitable," he added.

Recommending approval with 32 conditions, the council’s report says although there would be an impact on character, appearance, traffic and noise this could be mitigated by conditions and obligations on the developer.The meeting is todayat 6pm.