That's the message from a determined group of New Forest protesters who are trying to stop huge glasshouses being built over a patch of greenbelt land.

Up to 20 campaigners from Lym-ington and Pennington turned out in force in a bid to halt the controversial scheme put forward by nursery owner Derf Paton.

Mr Paton is trying to transform the existing plot of his nearby Pinetops Nurseries into an 80-home housing estate so he can expand his operation on to the former site of the Efford Experimental Horticultural Station.

But residents and wildlife lovers are insisting the expansion would be an environmental catastrophe which would leave several species of animals and birds without homes.

Peter De Vries, a former horticultural work at Efford and author of a comprehensive academic report on the land in question, said: "Greenfield sites can only be destroyed and built on once. Many hedgerows, which skylarks nest in, will be destroyed if the plans go ahead.

"There's a lot of wildlife present, including ten species of birds, whose habitats will be destroyed by these glasshouses.

"It would be worse if a huge housing estate was developed on the land but there's a considerable similarity between a giant glasshouse and a housing estate in respect of the wildlife and the greenbelt site.''

Fellow campaigner Rob Struzyna expressed concerns that flooding safeguards proposed by Mr Paton might not be sufficient to prevent chemicals being washed into the nearby European Union-protected Avon Water during spells of heavy rain.

Mr Paton was not available for comment, but the Daily Echo reported in July how he was urging planning chiefs to back his plans.

He said the housing estate proposed for the current site of his nursery would provide vital housing for key workers such as nurses.

Planning officer Steve Avery said the applications would be considered by New Forest District Council's planning committee on September 8.