PROTESTERS who want to pull the plug on plans to drill for oil close to homes on a farmland site in Hampshire are on the brink of victory.

Last night more than 130 residents packed a meeting of Eastleigh Council's Hedge End, West End and Botley Local Area Committee to state their case and hear borough councillors unanimously oppose a planning application by Northern Petroleum.

All eyes will now be on a special decision day called by Hampshire County Council leader Ken Thornber for Thursday.

As reported by the Daily Echo, the county council own the site off Woodhouse Lane on the Botley-Hedge End border where the oil company wants to undertake exploratory drilling for black gold.

The recommendation going to Councillor Thornber from county officers is that he should reject the request for a licence to use the land for drilling. If he does, it would mean the scheme would be killed off before it even went through the planning process. The county council is scheduled to consider the planning bid next month.

Today, Eastleigh prospective Tory parliamentary candidate Conor Burns was due to hand an 864-signature petition to Cllr Thornber and call on him to scupper the firm's plans by refusing them use of the land.

The application to drill up to three exploratory wells has been met by fierce opposition from residents of nearby homes and parents of pupils of Berrywood School nearby.

Plans include a 36m mast and 24-hour drilling for up to seven weeks for each well.

Last night, Eastleigh councillors were told the borough had received 336 objections from local residents and councillors listened as locals voiced fears about noise, traffic, air pollution and impassioned pleas from parents over the impact on children.

The committee agreed to object to the planning bid.

Eastleigh mayor Councillor June Hughes said: "We have so little countryside left in our area that we should be against putting something industrial on it which brings pollution, noise and disruption."

Councillors were told Northern Petroleum had declined an invitation to attend the meeting, saying the time allotted would be insufficient to give a "comprehensive presentation" of the firm's proposals.