PEOPLE living just on the outside of a planned massive port development in Southampton Water could still find themselves on the inside of noise, disturbance and traffic congestion, it was claimed.

The third of this week's four public protest meetings against plans by Southampton Docks owner Associated British Ports pulled just over 200 people into the Hardley School Hall, near Fawley.

That pushed the total number attending the meetings called by the Residents Against Dibden Bay Port group past the 1,000-mark in the wake of 400-plus attendances at Marchwood and Hythe.

Once again, there was a nearly 100 per cent show of hands against the project, with only one voting in favour of it. The final meeting is at Totton's Testwood School tonight at 8pm.

Last night's warnings on the potential disruption to the 15,000 residents of the Fawley area came from Fawley Parish Council's policy and resources chairman, Eve Brooks.

She pointed out that approval was granted five years ago for major sand and gravel extraction from Badminston Farm, between the main built-up areas and Calshot.

Amid parish fears that the gravel for the bay building projects could come from Badminston, she cited an appeal report that said: "The market for 90 per cent of the minerals was within a six-mile radius, most within one to three miles, supplying raw aggregate and Ready-Mix."

And she warned: "The disturbances and difficulties revealed at that appeal could become facts of life for the people of Fawley."

There were warnings, too, about the congestion Fawley residents will face when they head along the already-busy A326 towards Southampton or the M27.