RESIDENTS have vowed to fight plans to transform a greenfield site on the edge of Southampton into the city's first permanent park-and-ride.

The pledge comes after the Daily Echo revealed that First Bus is also planning to turn the field off Test Lane and Gover Road into a bus depot.

Old Redbridge Residents Association is drawing up an action plan to thwart the company's proposals.

Chairman Mervyn Humphreys said they were concerned about increased traffic, pollution and noise.

He said: "We have heard that some staff at First Bus have already been told they will be working at Redbridge in 18 months' time.

"This has come out of the blue and many of us are disturbed about the prospect.

"A bus depot working 24 hours a day will cause so much pollution and noise.

"We will have all the traffic from the cars going there and the buses coming to and from the park-and-ride.

"If it does come then there needs to be direct access to the site from the M271 so that our roads are not used for the extra traffic.

"This area has already been seriously damaged environmentally."

Mr Humphreys said they needed the support of councillors to stop it being built and that they would invite First Bus operations director David Greenwood to attend one of their meetings to discuss the plans.

Association member Roy Carey said: "Development at this site has been a continuous worry for us since 1983.

"We have a very good neighbour in the Echo but a bus garage would bring diesel fumes and more environmental problems.

"The best we could hope for is having an entrance and exit that avoids residential roads." Another resident, Jeff West, said the development would reduce the value of properties.

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