TRAINS should be standing at a new £2m-plus railway station in Chandler's Ford by May 18 next year - if all goes according to plan.

Eastleigh councillors have given their seal of approval to a scheme to resurrect the station - first opened in 1847 and which saw passenger services cease in 1969 - subject to various details being ironed out.

Members of the Chandler's Ford and Hiltingbury local area committee were told everything was effectively in place to achieve the May opening.

County surveyor spokesman Richard Stocks told members: "We are progressing extremely well with this."

The committee backed amended plans from the county surveyor for a new station building, new platform, a shelter with bike store, a new footbridge across the railway line and a 53-bay car park.

Planning permission will be granted by Eastleigh's head of development control together with the chairman and vice chairman of the local area committee, subject to consideration of comments from consultees on the fresh plans.

The move came despite Station Lane resident Richard Husband dubbing the scheme a "disaster waiting to happen" and an objection from The Station youth centre.

Mr Husband said he was worried about traffic, security and the timing of trains.

Earlier, Mr Stocks had asked for a condition limiting use of the station to hours between 6.30am and 11.30pm to be removed, explaining that it was hoped to run a late night "social" service from Southampton.

"The service timetables would then have the last train arriving and leaving Chandler's Ford at 23.55," he told councillors.

Speaking on behalf of the youth centre, administration officer for Eastleigh Borough Youth Theatre Christine Farley said there was no objection to the station opening but there was "major concern" because Station Lane was already severely congested.

Councillor Colin Davidovitz told committee colleagues: "Inevitably when you have an application of this magnitude it is going to ruffle a few feathers."

But he added: "We are creating an integrated transport policy to enable people to have frequent access to public services. It is going to have links with the whole of the rail network."