PLANNERS have again delayed a decision on controversial proposals to build another new facility on a huge NHS site in the New Forest.

District councillors said they had still not been given enough information about the amount of traffic being generated by the redevelopment of the former Tatchbury Mount Hospital at Netley Marsh.

Five proposals for the 123-acre site have been submitted in the past few years. Now members of the council's planning and development control committee have deferred the latest application, which centres on an in-patient unit for mentally-ill teenagers.

The vote was taken amid claims that the new facility would result in too many vehicles using narrow country lanes surrounding the former hospital.

Objectors include Ken Ball, who lives in nearby Loperwood Lane, Cal-more. He told the committee: "The council's head of development control has indicated that a maximum of 1,834 traffic movements a day would be acceptable.

"I believe the development of the new adolescent unit would result in the limit being breached quite significantly."

Netley Marsh councillor Les Puttock said: "Residents have no objection to mental health facilities on the site - it's the offices and the amount of traffic they generate. The traffic is horrendous and must be controlled."

Councillor David Scott, who represents nearby Copythorne, complained about the "horrific" number of vehicles using Winsor Road.

He claimed that the proposed new unit breached planning policies and added: "This cannot be justified in a National Park without a proper paper showing us the traffic figures.

"We should defer this for a full report on what's happening now and what the NHS will adhere to."

Netley Marsh member Derek Tipp said: "We should err on the side of caution and insist on traffic levels being well within the limit."

A proposal to defer the application for the second month running was approved by nine votes to eight.