NO to more development! That was the cry from Hamble villagers over plans to build 600 homes in their backyard.

Residents fear that Hamble Lane - the only route in and out of the yachting mecca - which is already under siege from traffic, will become permanently gridlocked if the controversial proposals get the green light.

Barratt Homes and George Wimpey are behind plans to build 600 homes on a 64- acre site west of Hamble Lane, separating Bursledon and Southampton.

The development package would also include a park-and-ride for 850 cars, a health centre, a care home, a country park and public open space.

But developers can already see they have a real fight on their hands to steer their controversial plans through.

Janine Dajka, 45, The Square, Hamble, said: "I think it is the most ludicrous plan I have seen to date and it's going to be a nightmare situation. There is going to be continuous gridlock. Local facilities, like schools and doctors surgeries, are also going to be stretched."

Hamble was the third parish council in the area to hold a public meeting and every time fears over roads being swamped with traffic came top of the concerns.

Steve Wilks, Barratt Homes' Southampton managing director, explained that it would be building two much larger roundabouts on to Hamble Lane.

He said: "Even with additional cars coming from the development, traffic queues would be less than they are now."

But this failed to sway the residents who packed Hamble Memorial Hall, and the developers' views on predicted traffic flows were greeted with cries of "rubbish".

Traffic fears set the tone of the lively, two-hour meeting. One villager pointed out that Hamble Lane was the busiest road of its category in the United Kingdom.

Pointing to the outline proposals on display, another villager said: "There is not a plan there to make the traffic flow up and down Hamble Lane."

There were also concerns that building 600 homes would put enormous pressure on local schools.

Mr Wilks agreed that traffic was a major issue which had to be tackled, but defending the move to build more homes, he said: "There is a huge demand which is not being satisfied at the moment."

Hamble Parish Council chairman Councillor Margaret Blackman said that traffic was the main worry.

Eastleigh council leader Keith House, who attended last night's meeting, said in a statement afterwards: "Our local plan rejects proposals for housing on this site or any other green field on the Hamble Peninsula.

"We have traffic gridlock on a daily basis now and these plans are just a quick fix proposal which would make matters worse."