A Winchester city councillor has launched a blistering attack on planners after a travelling showmen's depot near Micheldever won planning permission.

Barry Lipscomb said the controversial scheme flew in the face of widespread opposition from villagers, the parish council and local ward members.

The Tory councillor said it was also "in flagrant disregard" of the council's own planning policies aimed at protecting the countryside.

He said these same policies had been used on many occasions to prevent "reasonable activity" in the same area by local people.

His comments come after the planning committee last week approved a winter base for upto 50 travelling people in a field behind the Driver Diner on the A33.

Families of showpeople who run fairs across Hampshire, including Winchester's River Park Leisure Centre, will live on site in mobile homes.

Mr Lipscomb, who represents Wonston and Micheldever, said: "One can but fear now for the countryside, if policies designed to protect it which have taken years to compile at great public cost can be so easily disregarded by officers and elected councillors, apparently content to pour concrete on rural fields.

"I have no dispute with the applicants but I am hugely disappointed by the decision, which smacked heavily of social engineering and getting the council out of a self-dug hole elsewhere."

The showpeople have been based at Shedfield for 10 years, but Winchester City Council has refused them permission to remain. They face eviction from the site after a long battle through the courts.