ONE of Britain's biggest builders is threatening to pull out of plans to transform an eyesore in Totton town centre.

McCarthy & Stone is furious after a £2m proposal to build retirement flats on a derelict piece of land was thrown out for the second time.

Now the company is thinking of abandoning attempts to redevelop the rubbish-strewn site between Ringwood Road and Water Lane.

Plans for 50 flats and two shops on the land were rejected last year after councillors criticised the design of the building and the shortage of retail units.

Six months ago McCarthy & Stone submitted a revised scheme that aimed to overcome the objections.

The company cut the height of the buildings and converted the whole of the ground floor into a retail area, with space for up to four shops. Also, it reduced the number of flats from 50 to 45.

New Forest District Council has rejected the second application in a move that has angered the applicant and Totton and Eling Town Council.

Town clerk Derek Biggs said: "The site is an absolute tip and we're looking to see it developed."

A McCarthy & Stone spokesman defended the proposal.

"It's a good solution for the site, a derelict piece of land that attracts people looking for somewhere to dump rubbish," he said.

"We don't know whether to pursue the scheme or abandon the whole thing, which is one of the options."

Planners refused the latest proposal on several grounds, including the lack of social housing and the building's impact on existing properties in the area.

A council spokesman said the scheme failed to overcome objections to the original application and was rejected on its merits.

The issue will be the subject of a special debate at tomorrow's meeting of the town council's planning and transport advisory committee.