HAMPSHIRE transport chiefs are working on new plans for the next phase of Winchester's controversial park-and-ride system.

As work nears completion on the extension at Bar End, the county council is turning attention to another site near Badger Farm.

Officers are drawing up proposals to remove hundreds of cars from the congested city centre.

Any new location for park-and-ride will be extremely sensitive as there are pressure groups keen to minimise any development on the edge of the city.

The issue was raised at the Winchester Movement and Access Panel.

County councillor Keith Estlin, executive member for the environment, said: "We are looking at park- and-ride in the Bushfield Camp area. I wouldn't like to go into any more detail at this meeting.

"It probably will not be at Bushfield Camp but another site around there."

Bushfield Camp is owned by the Church Commissioners, which has in the past been reluctant to sell any land there for anything other than housing.

The county council owns land in that area currently farmed by tenants.

There is an unrelated row going on about public access to the land.

Any development there would be fiercely opposed by landscape campaigners already battle-hardened over the fight to save the land at Bar End.

Jocelyn Edmondstone, chairman of the Winchester Landscape Conservation Alliance, said: "We have asked for Bushfield Camp as well as Barton Farm and areas of outstanding natural beauty to the west of Winchester to be included in the South Downs National Park.

The issue will be discussed by county and city councillors in the spring.