FOR residents in a quiet Southampton road it was a small green oasis to be proud of.

In the summer children would play cricket, football and read books on the grass island in the middle of their cul-de-sac.

But locals were left horrified after waking up to find council bosses had decided to dig it up and replace it with a car park.

Now there are calls for an investigation after the council failed to seek planning permission for the work, or inform residents that it was going to be carried out.

Neighbours in Barnfield Close in Weston watched with open mouths as workmen with spades and diggers turned up unannounced and started uprooting trees.

They are demanding to know why they were not consulted on the nine-space car park and say it is not needed, as most residents park in their driveway.

Richard Williams, Labour councillor for Woolston, said: "It seems to be a bit of a mess-up to put it bluntly. They have not followed any consultation processes and as a result a piece of land that is valued is being replaced with a car park. I will be asking for an investigation."

Grandmother Thelma Hurrell, 76, of Barnfield Close, said: "I'm very upset about it. We have lived here for 49 years and it was a very pleasant little oasis. We only have one neighbour who occasionally parks on the grass verges when they have a visitor so why they need to waste money on a car park with nine spaces I don't know.

"I'm sure people would not have agreed to this if they were consulted."

Mum-of-three Debra Saunders, 50, of Barnfield Close, said: "I'm extremely annoyed because none of the residents were consulted to ask what our opinion is. We could have had a meeting to see if there was an alternative. Why have they decided at this moment in time that they want to do this after all these years? Children play football here but now they won't be able to. This is a nice quiet cul-de-sac which they have just ruined."

Labour ward councillor for Woolston, Warrick Payne, was also at a loss as to why locals had not been consulted over the plans.

He said: "They should have been consulted in the first place. It strikes me as bizarre."

After the Echo made inquiries about the plans for the green council workers hurriedly put leaflets through residents' letter boxes apologising for not informing them but insisted work would continue.

Andy Scate, head of planning and sustainability, said: "No planning application has been made for work in this road."