IT'S D-Day tomorrow for campaigners who have fought a long-running battle to save Eastleigh allotments from being sold off for housing.

On the 866th day of the campaign spearheaded by Eastleigh and Bishopstoke Allotments Association, a public inquiry ordered by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott will open at Eastleigh's Civic Offices.

The hearing is expected to last four days with teams of expert witnesses from the association and Eastleigh Council giving evidence.

Government-appointed planning inspector Susan Holland will be left in little doubt about the allotment holders' strength of feeling. They plan to stage a banner demonstration outside the civic offices before the inquiry even gets underway.

Allotment holders have battled for more than two years to save the leisure gardening plots they have cultivated for decades from being covered by new homes.

Meanwhile, council chiefs have argued that moving plot holders to alternative land would help meet a desperate need for affordable homes as well as protect countryside areas from development. Tomorrow, the battle will go before Mrs Holland who will make a clear ruling on whether civic bosses are within their rights to dispose of two allotment sites in the town.

Mr Prescott intervened after Eastleigh unveiled plans for 430 homes on a site south of Monks Way and South Street in Eastleigh.

The council gave itself outline permission for the development in October 2003. But after looking at the case, Mr Prescott ruled that although Eastleigh could have the final say over its planning permission for homes he wanted an inquiry to advise him on the council's related request to dispose of part of the proposed development site used for allotments.

Allotment association chairman Tim Holzer said: "This public inquiry represents an important opportunity to have the merits of the council's application properly and fairly debated.

"These allotments make an important contribution to people's quality of life and selling them off for housing development will result in significant and irreversible damage to this important amenity resource."

A council spokesman said: "Planning permission has already been granted for housing. The inquiry is essential only about allotment-related aspects."