CAMPAIGNERS have urged Southampton City Council to work with them to transform a disused boating lake after “inadequate” plans to turn it into a meadow were kicked out.

The plans by the Environment Agency (EA) to fill in the lake at Southampton Sports Centre and turn it into a wildflower meadow were rejected by the planning and rights of way panel yesterday.

The scheme provoked opposition from those who said the plan was inappropriate on ecology grounds, as the lake provided a habitat for wildlife.

The panel heard how filling in the lake had already begun after temporary permission had been granted by Southampton City Council, who held the land in trust on behalf of the city’s people.

The EA, who were not at yesterday’s meeting, proposed to make their temporary permission permanent by using soil and material extracted from the neighbouring flood drainage works at the golf course to fill the lake.

The panel heard representations from Penny Hastings, on behalf of the Friends of Southampton Sports Centre.

She told the panel that the application had been rushed through and failed in every aspect of the council’s policy and urged the authority to work with her group to develop a scheme in keeping with the Olympic legacy.

Graham Linacre of Southampton Commons and Parks Protection Society said the likely outcome was that the meadow would be “a weedy eyesore” due to the unsuitability of the location and lack of future funding.

Planning officers had recommended approval for the scheme on the proviso that the EA extended the plan to include a wetland and pond area that would account for about a third of the site.

Members of the panel heard that no agreement had yet been reached over that and concerns were raised how any long-term plan for the meadow would be funded.

In dismissing the application, councillors agreed that more work had to be done on coming up with a more appropriate and sustainable use of the land.

Following the meeting, Mr Linacre said: “I think the EA has questions to answer here about this scheme and the flood alleviation work on the golf course.”