A lone protester launched a stinging attack on the leader of Hampshire County Council, warning him that the decision to tarmac the Bar End meadows would become "his political legacy".

Nick MacKinnon attacked Ken Thornber after finance chiefs gave the final go-ahead for a 420-spacepark-and-ride extension.

The unanimous decision of nine councillors--none representing the city--provoked calls of "shame" and "disgrace" from the public gallery.

Leaping to his feet in anger, St Cross resident, Mr MacKinnon, shouted: "I am not going to let you continue with this meeting until you acknowledge that you have put a car park on the view over the city of Winchester.

"The chairman does not understand what he has done. You are building a concrete car park on a meadow and none of you seems to understand that."

"This will be your memorial," he warned the council leader before being removed by six security guards.

Now the controversial go-ahead has been given, bulldozers will move on to the site in October to start on the £2.5m development.

But, vowing to fight on, campaigners have already launched a legal challenge and have warned that direct action may be taken by eco-warriors.

Chairman of the Winchester Meadows Conservation Alliance, Keith Story, said: "We were disappointed but not surprised by the decision as we knew it would be a stitch-up.

"But we were shocked by the manner of the decision and felt they didn't pay any attention to the deputations. Winchester is a powder keg and they have lit the fuse."

The contentious move will wipe out the wild flower-rich meadow land, given to the people of Winchester in mitigation for the loss of Twyford Down.

Planning permission was granted in 1998, following a public inquiry, and councillors were told they had no option but to rubber-stamp the unwelcome development, providing it met the conditions imposed by the then Secretary of State, John Prescott.

County chief planning officer, Tim Greenwood, said: "It is not for us to consider any other use for that land, unpopular though it is with members of the public.

"The land at Bar End is actually private. It is owned by the county council but it is not public open space," he added.

Altogether, 10 protesters spoke out against the plans which have attracted high-profile opposition from television environmentalist, Professor David Bellamy, and which have been condemned by English Nature and the Hampshire Wildlife Trust--as well as the Winchester Meadows Conservation Alliance.

The city is being offered land in mitigation--nine hectares at Magdalen Hill, off Alresford Road, which will be returned to chalk downland as a replacement.

While alliance member, Deborah Falconer, claimed that, without plans to make it accessible for the elderly and disabled, it was a functional mitigation site, Mr Greenwood claimed that the planning conditions did not require it to be so.

Mr Thornber told the committee that increasing park-and-ride was a fundamental part of maintaining Winchester's city centre's thriving economy. But Upper High Street resident, Chris Gillham, said he believed there was a "hidden agenda" with park and ride at Bar End seen by county council officers as a means of increasing traffic in Winchester.

"The intention is to free up city centre parking spaces from commuter occupation so they can be used by shoppers--and shoppers turn over car parking spaces in central Winchester at between five and seven times the rate of commuters," he claimed.