CONTROVERSIAL plans for hundreds of homes and playing fields were given the go-ahead a second time again last night.

Civic chiefs approved plans for 275 homes and sports pitches to be built on land outside Romsey.

Sports clubs across Romsey are expected benefit from the application while developers want to build the homes on Ganger Farm Lane, which would allow Test Valley Borough Council with the housing needs.

Previously permission had been approved by the committee in July.

But since then the council has adopted their revised local plan setting out where 10,500 houses will go in the borough.

The item returned to the committee after prolonged negotiations between the developer and planning bosses over the small print.

Members of Test Valley Borough Council’s southern area planning committee unanimously gave their approval to the application.

But Borough Councillor Mark Cooper said: “It’s a great shame that we didn’t have the neighbourhood plan in place at the time this went before committee previously.”

Test Valley Borough Council’s planning officer, Laura McKay, submitted a report to the committee, which said: “There have been material changes in circumstances which were not yet considered at the time of the original decision and which affect the consideration of this application.

“These are the adoption of the Test Valley Borough Council revised local plan 2016 and a chance in the council’s five-year housing land supply position.”