HAMPSHIRE'S Rose Bowl has been given a major boost in its ambition to become a crowd-pulling location for international and night cricket.

Eastleigh civic chiefs have unanimously backed a move which will see six permanent floodlights on 30-metre static columns installed at the county cricket ground in West End.

Last September the Daily Echo revealed that Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove wanted to make the Rose Bowl the main ground in England for hosting day and night international cricket.

He told members of Eastleigh Council's Hedge End, West End and Botley Local Area Committee: "The Rose Bowl has been built and developed at a cost of some £25m. I don't think this could possibly be sustainable on the income from domestic cricket.

"We have done very well, but unless we can get predictable access to international cricket in the future it is difficult to see how we can continue."

He told councillors the scheme would introduce world-standard floodlighting for the first time in this country and pleaded: "Give us the opportunity to compete on the world stage and make the Rose Bowl a world international centre."

Use of the lighting will be restricted between April and September to no more than six occasions each year and the lights will have to be switched off by 10.30pm.

West End Parish Council objected to the scheme on grounds of light pollution, the impact on a nearby site of special importance for nature conservation, concerns for local residents and fears the lights would distract motorists on the nearby M27.

Two residents spoke against the scheme, including Dave Wright, who told councillors: "These lights are going to be too high and will be a blot on the environment."

However, committee chairman Councillor George Fraser said: "The Rose Bowl is a wonderful asset. Having a light switched on six times a year is a small price to pay."