SAVE Manydown campaigners have pledged to fight on even though Basingstoke council has voted to include the site in the Local Plan for development post-2011.

Campaign spokesman Ted Blackmore-Squires told The Basingstoke Extra: "The Save Manydown group has an ongoing plan to fight to save the green fields of the entire borough. There are many equally committed people in the borough and links with them are strengthening daily."

He said they planned to challenge the legal basis of the decision on the grounds of conflict of interest, as the council owns the 2,000-acre Manydown site and is deciding on the planning of the area as well.

He added that the voting at the council meeting had been on party lines, despite the rule that planning decisions should not be politicised.

"We believe these serious issues of maladministration must be properly addressed by the council," said Mr Blackmore-Squires.

"We have called for scrutiny and will take issues to the Local Government Ombudsman if necessary."

Mr Blackmore-Squires said the Save Manydown group would present an alternative plan to the Government inspector heading the public inquiry into the Local Plan, due to take place late next year.

The campaigners also plan to influence next June's local council elections when 20 of Basingstoke's 60 councillors come up for re-election.

"We hope to effect a regime change," said Mr Blackmore-Squires.

"Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has too much in common with central Government and a change in the council will occur next June at the local elections.

"We are planning to challenge every candidate, whatever their politics, to sign up to protecting all of Basingstoke's green fields. We will work whole-heartedly to get sympathetic candidates elected. With a new council in place, these candidates will be committed to removing any major development area from the Local Plan."

Mr Blackmore-Squires said that what many Basingstoke people did not realise was that the Manydown plan included a western bypass to the town - a dual carriageway running from junction seven of the M3 to the east of Oakley across the hilltop to the west of the proposed Manydown housing to link up with the A339.

"Such a road will spread noise, dust and pollution across the whole area, whipped up by the prevailing westerly winds," he added. "We intend to draw attention to this."