A MAJOR firm could pull out of a Hampshire village if it cannot expand, a senior Eastleigh councillor has warned.

Contact lens firm CooperVision might quit Hamble if it could not acquire land to secure its future, according to Cllr Bill Pepper.

Bosses are struggling to find the necessary land because so much was earmarked for new homes rather than industry.

Company spokesman Bill Everton appeared before Eastleigh's ruling cabinet to ask them to save land at Hamble's Ensign Way for industrial use rather than new homes.

He told councillors that CooperVision employed 1,400 people on six sites - three of which were in Hamble - and wanted to expand and secure its future in the village. But negotiations were being blighted by the high price placed on land for residential development.

He added: "If you were to remove the chance of residential development we believe long-term commercial reality would return."

But civic chiefs have ignored the plea.

They also rejected a 200-signature petition from nearby residents who are fighting plans to build homes on the site.

Ten days after the council's Bursledon, Hamble and Hound local area committee had rejected a move to change land zoned for employment west of Ensign Way to a mixed development of employment and housing, the council's Cabinet overruled it.

Hamble representative Cllr Pepper said: "Hamble has had 15 years of non-stop development, six brownfield sites have been allocated for development, 1,000 jobs lost and this village has the second highest unemployment in the Eastleigh area, despite all the companies which are based in Hamble."

But planning consultant for Barratt Homes Mark Lucan said the land had been actively marketed to industry for more than a decade without success.

Land owner Adrian English added: "This site has now been vacant for 14 years - I'm sure no-one would want to see it remain vacant for another ten years, particularly with government pressure to develop brownfield sites."

Planning officer Graham Tuck said there was enough employment land in the borough to meet the demand for the next ten years without the need to save that particular site for industry.