AN Eastleigh school could have cleared the final hurdle in a bid to build a £2m sports complex after Sport England dramatically changed its mind and agreed to support the plan.

The agency had staunchly denied Crestwood School approval to sell off an unused part of its large playing field to developers for an 80-home estate in order to unlock cash to boost sporting facilities.

Sport England refused to support the bid because Eastleigh has a low number of playing fields. Its approval has to be gained before any playing field in the country can be sold.

The agency performed a U-turn after a fact-finding trip to the school when it came to the conclusion that sporting facilities in the area will be boosted by the sale and not harmed.

A Sport England spokesman said: "We objected to the development because there was no guarantee that the sports facilities would be built. We didn't want to say 'yes go ahead' and then for the sports facilities to be forgotten about.

"But following a visit to the school and negotiations with Hampshire County Council we have formulated an acceptable planning commendation.

"It states that the capital from the playing field sale must be used for the sports hall and pitch and that the sports facilities must be built prior to the housing development."

Crestwood's head teacher Phil Munday said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for the school and will also enable more extensive use of our facilities by the local community in the evenings and at weekends.

"There will be no loss of playing fields as a result of the reconfiguration. The area of land to be sold is not used by the school and includes a copse which has become a popular meeting ground for local youths and an occasional venue for antisocial behaviour."

Eastleigh councillors sitting on the town's local area committee will take the final decision on whether to grant the sporting complex planning permission on May 20.

Improvements will include reconfiguring three existing pitches, improving drainage, and a new all-weather multi-sports pitch with floodlighting replacing the existing hockey pitch. There will be greater access to these facilities after school, at weekends and during school holidays by local community clubs.

However objections are still expected from people who live near the Woodside Avenue school and who made their views known by heckling Mr Munday at a council meeting.