CAMPAIGNING parents have hit out at possible plans to close a school in a New Forest town that is experiencing a major housing boom.

Hampshire County Council is thinking of shutting Calmore Infant School and merging it with an adjoining junior school to help combat problems caused by falling rolls.

Parents packed a consultation meeting at the school last night to voice their anger and disbelief at the threat.

They said a local baby boom, coupled with massive housing schemes in the town, meant the number of school-age children in Totton was set to rise.

Totton councillor Frank Bright, a former member of New Forest District Council's planning and development control committee, expressed similar views.

He said a proposal to build nearly 300 homes in the Hanger Farm area was due to be debated by the town council tomorrow.

"We can't turn it down on policy grounds because it was agreed back in the 1980s that the site could be used for housing," said Cllr Bright.

He added: "Development in Totton is not restricted by the same constraints that protect other parts of the New Forest and we will get more housing in the future.

Cllr Bright held up a bundle of letters from parents worried about the possible closure of Calmore Infant School, which has an excellent reputation.

The meeting was addressed by Chris Holt, the county council's education officer for primary schools.

He said Calmore Infant School could accommodate 270 pupils, but had only 174 children at the start of the year - a shortfall of 96.

He warned that the number of surplus places was expected to rise to 111 by September 2007.

However, the chairman of governors, Gerry Etherington, said it was impossible to reconcile the figures with the huge number of new homes springing up in the area. She also warned that pre-school provision in the area would suffer serious disruption if the school closed.

The site is home to Caterpillars Pre-School, Totton Opportunity Pre-School (Tops) for children with learning difficulties, and an early education childcare unit.

Mr Holt said the county council had taken account of known housing developments in the area when compiling its forecasts, which did not include schemes that might be built.

"We can't work in maybes," he said.

But speakers condemned moves to merge the infant and junior schools and create a new 420-place primary school on the junior school site.

Some of the parents warned that four-year-olds would be exposed to bullying if they had to mingle with much older children.