A HAMPSHIRE school is holding its breath over plans to sell off part of its sports field for an 80-home estate that will unlock cash for a £2m sports complex.

Eastleigh councillors have put a planning application for the scheme on ice while they gather further information before making a final decision over the land at Crestwood School.

But in an interview with the Daily Echo, head teacher Phil Munday said the area in question was "dead land" that was not being used by the school.

He claimed the sale was vital to generate money that would be pumped into equipping the school with some of the best sporting facilities in the area that could be enjoyed by both pupils and the community.

The country's top sporting body - Sport England - has lodged a formal objection with Eastleigh council planners.

It is concerned that part of the playing field would be lost permanently and says it is "essential" that planning permission should have a legal agreement guaranteeing the provision of a sports hall.

Ward councillor Chris Thomas said he was not opposed to the scheme but he wanted an assurance from Hampshire County Council that the money would be spent on sports facilities and not be used for anything else.

He said: "I want to see the justification for the land being declared surplus to requirement."

Opponents of the scheme have cited the government's election pledge not to sell off school fields. But Eastleigh MP David Chidgey said that the promise had so many provisos that in practice it was hard to apply.

He added that the scheme would be an "asset to the community" and improve the area's sporting facilities.

Crestwood School and its playing field occupy 8.2 hectares of land off Shakespeare Road. The site for development covers 1.6 hectares of the field next to Woodside Avenue.