HAMPSHIRE council chiefs are poised to approve a new £5m park-and-ride site, south of Winchester.

County councillors are being urged to support the planning application for a 864-space car park on Itchen Farm, next to Junction 11 of the M3.

The likely approval by the regulatory committee on Wednesday of the council's own scheme will be controversial as the Hampshire Structure Plan earmarks park-and-ride for the nearby Bushfield Camp.

However, the council argues that it is an "acceptable departure from policy" and follows a long and detailed public consultation.

Most of the public support the siting of the car park on Itchen Farm, the former construction compound for the M3 in the early 1990s.

Building work could start in 2008 with an opening date in 2009.

However, there are pockets of strong opposition - notably from residents in Twyford who say their view across the Itchen valley will be marred.

Winchester Friends of the Earth (FoE) also oppose the scheme saying park and ride is an outdated answer to congestion.

The FoE branch says more central car parks should be removed otherwise the reduction in commuter parking will simply be replaced by more short-stay drivers, so actually increasing the number of vehicle movements.

The environmentalists call for more investment in public transport.

The council argues that various developments have and will reduce the number of parking spaces in the city centre - including Jewry Street, Silver Hill, Colebrook Street and Ashburton Court.

Other objectors include Winchester College which is worried about the visual impact on views from its land at St Catherine's Hill, Twyford Down and Hockley Golf Course.

The council argues there will be extensive planting of native trees and shrubs and once established there will be a beneficial impact on conservation and biodiversity.

A report to the committee said: "It is considered that the benefits of park-and-ride for Winchester, both in terms of traffic management and the environment, outweigh the impact on the countryside."

The initial park-and-ride vision in 1990 was for a car park on every major road into the city.

Only one route has been completed, at Bar End in 2004, largely due to lack of suitable sites and the ongoing legal action over building on the former A33 bypass.

The new park-and-ride site will serve major employers, including the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, university, and Hampshire police headquarters.