"IT'S like a prison camp".

That's the view of one Wellow resident who claims light pollution from an equestrian centre in Foxes Lane is blighting lives in the village and the site's owner is breaching planning permissions.

Paul Feeney said he wants people in the Wellow area to know about what he described as a new “high security development” in a former field at Oak Tree Farm owned by Richard Steel where the Blackwater Livery is based.

He said the original planning application was for an equestrian centre to blend in with the environment and add to the rural activities of the village.

But the field, which includes a footpath to the last resting place of Britain's most famous nurse Florence Nightingale who is buried in St Margaret's churchyard in the village, is now a far cry from the rural idyll that it once says Mr Feeney.

“Blatant disregard of these planning provisions has turned it into a cityscape of looming two metre high security walls and gates leading to a compound brightly lit by dozens of floodlights and building more suited to an industrial estate than countryside,” said an angry Mr Feeney.

He added: “If developers, who have no part of a village community, can cynically apply for one thing and then build another with such a cavalier attitude and with no enforcement by the authorities, then why should anyone bother to even put in an application?"

Mr Feeney is calling on everyone in the village to sign a petition urging Test Valley planning bosses to act and ensure that the site's owner complies with conditions laid down by council officials.

“This eyesore is blighting the lives of all those living around it with 24-hour daylight. If I wanted to live near such a building I would have moved to Parkhurst, Wandsworth or Brixton.

"I urge everyone to sign a petition to ensure that the owners of 'Wellow Prison' are forced to comply with the permission granted and not allowed to cynically apply for retrospective permission to keep the illegal building work already completed,” added Mr Feeney, who concluded: “The development is causing much upset amongst local people and a campaign has been organised to stop this type of disregard to authority and the community."

Residents have now taken the matter up with Wellow Parish Council.

“I can confirm that we have received complaints about the unauthorised development at Oak Tree Farm from local residents and of course the parish council is concerned about this. However, this matter is now in the hands of the enforcement officer at Test Valley Borough Council,” said parish council clerk Lorraine Wheeler.

A borough council spokesperson also confirmed there had been complaints from the public.

“This matter is currently being investigated by the council's planning enforcement team,” said the spokesperson.

Responding to the allegations, site owner Richard Steel said security was important at Oak Tree Farm because of high value horses kept there but action is planned to reduce the impact on neighbouring properties.

“We had our case officer round recently and we discussed the issues. All fixed lights on the site are below that which was approved at the previous application. The outside lights we have on the outside of the building are motion activated.

“We have three moveable lights on the manege which will only be operating for about a third of the year in early evening.

"We have suggested limiting to being on in the evening up to 9pm which seems to be agreeable to the planning officer,” said Mr Steel.

He explained that some clients can only ride in the evening and lighting is needed for health and safety reasons.

“All the other three yards within the vicinity have manege lights and at least one has large sodium lights that are on all night.

"We do not want lights on all night although we have well over a million pounds worth of horses in our care.

"We have installed a sophisticated security system and our immediate neighbour has no objection. We have submitted a further application to deal with the other issues,” added Mr Steel.