CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 45 homes on a greenfield site in Hampshire have been approved – despite more than 100 objections to the scheme.

Civic chiefs have supported an application to redevelop a large area of land that forms a buffer between Hythe and an industrial area that includes Fawley oil refinery.

The application had sparked 120 letters of protest from people living near the picturesque site in Fawley Road, Hythe.

They listed more than 20 reasons why the proposal should be rejected, including the loss of a highly-prized green lung and the prospect of flooding caused by surface water run-off.

Some of the objectors lobbied the district council’s planning committee in a last-ditch attempt to defeat the application.

Simon Noble, whose family owns nearby Kitcher’s Copse, said the development would result in the loss of an “irreplaceable” wildlife area that had been visited by groups of schoolchildren.

Fellow protesters included John Penny, who lives at neighbouring Forest Lodge Farm.

But Adam O’Brien, representing the applicant, Burton Property Ventures, said the scheme would provide much-needed affordable homes in an area where more than 1,000 people were on the housing waiting list.

Mr O’Brien said the “well-designed and well-researched” proposal was the result of four years’ work.

Cllr Alan Penson added: “It’s a great shame that there’s a requirement for homes to be built on the land but it’s zoned for residential development and there’s a huge demand for housing in Hythe.”

Cllr Kate Crisell also supported the application but cited the potential impact on nearby Frost Lane.

She said: “Residents say it’s not fit for purpose and yet we’re going to have a lot of extra people using it if the homes are approved.”

A report to councillors said the size and scale of the scheme meant it would have an impact on people living in nearby properties.

“The tranquil environment currently enjoyed by the occupants of Forest Lodge Farm would inevitably be eroded to a degree,” it said.

But the report stressed that the application complied with the council’s core planning policies and objectives.

Referring to the possibility of surface water run-off the report said the scheme included an acceptable drainage system that would not put neighbouring properties at increased risk of flooding.

It also denied claims that the new homes would result in road safety issues in the area.