HUNDREDS of jobs are to be created at a new business park after a long-running dispute ended with one side buying the other out.

The Northern Development Site, located in the north-east corner of Southampton Airport, is a 48-acre area that has planning consent for 800,000 square feet of office and warehouse development.

But building work was held up by a legal wrangle between site owners Gazeley Properties Ltd and airport owners BAA.

Gazeley wanted to construct a relief road - the long awaited Chickenhall Relief Road - while BAA said the road should go in a tunnel on safety grounds.

A High Court judge decided last year that the Secretary of State should have the final say.

Now BAA has decided to end the prolonged period of doubt by paying £5.75m for the site, clearing the way to forge ahead with its plans for a tunnel.

Managing director of Southampton Airport David Cumming told the Daily Echo: "This is very important news for the region, because it allows one of the largest employment sites on the south coast to be developed at a location with superb transport links by air, road and rail.

"The Northern Development Site has strategic importance for the future viability of Southampton Airport, enabling it to remain as one of the UK's key regional airports and generator of business and commerce in Hampshire."

He added: "We will immediately start to plan how we can develop the site and assess how the new link road can be funded.

"It will not only provide direct access to the site, but also alleviate local traffic congestion by acting as a relief road for Eastleigh town centre."

Eastleigh council's chief executive Chris Tapp said: "We look forward to working with the airport and BAA Lynton on the development of the northern business park.

"The project is an exciting one which can provide a lot of good new jobs for local people."