A pensioner has branded plans to build more than a thousand new homes on the Romsey’s doorstep as complete “stupidity” and the town council has agreed with her.

Eileen Sadie, who lives at David Court, made a passionate plea to town councillors to block Test Valley’s plans to include Whitenap in the borough’s housing core strategy.

Test Valley planners have earmarked an area of prime agricultural land between the Romsey to Southampton railway line and Beggarspath Wood, to the west of Mountbatten School, for 1,600 new homes.

Mrs Sadie, 75, was one of the public at Tuesday evening’s town council meeting who voiced their opposition to the Prince’s Trust plans to build a Poundbury-style village on land at Whitenap.

“It’s important that people power comes to the fore on this. We don’t want our view spoilt and we must come together and protest,” said Mrs Sadies, whose comments were met with cheers. “It’s such a beautiful panoramic view over fields and it would be tragic for Romsey if this was lost. It’s a gem of the town. I live on the top floor and I can see sheep grazing in the field. I want to keep Romsey rural.”

She added that the field would be unsuitable for housing, as it drained so poorly.

Another objector warned that it would be “dangerous” concrete over this low-lyingsite.

Other objectors questioned the need for the housing and one said it was “ironic” that Prince Charles was pushing green issues, including growing your own food, yet his Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment was involved with the development on agricultural land at Whitenap.

One man suggested forming a pressure group to fight the proposals.

Romsey’s county councillor, Mark Cooper, could not take part in the vote or town council debate because of his pecuniary and personal interests in the Whitenap site, but he spoke as an individual from the public gallery before a vote was taken.

Mr Cooper warned that if the plans went ahead, Romsey would no longer be classed as a market town and he criticised the use of grade three agricultural land for the proposed development.

He also said if the core strategy’s proposed woodland park was created between the M27 and the Southampton boundary, Romsey would suffer. “It would mean housing growth in Southampton would leapfrog over this park into southern Test Valley,” warned Mr Cooper.

Former mayor, David Johnson, said he didn’t believe emotions would win the day.

“You cannot win this argument by saying: ‘I enjoy the view’. It doesn’t count with the planners, because no-one is entitled to a view. You need facts and figures.”

Councillor Ian Richards said it was important to look at the town’s future viability as a whole and there was a need for new housing, but not this much “We have got to ensure the town continues to thrive. I have already seen businesses starting to decline. Like it or not, we have got to accommodate more housing over the next 20-years,” said the Conservative member.

The town council unanimously voted in favour of rejecting the core strategy on the grounds that housing at Whitenap would not be sustainable.

The authority is now demanding an independent review of the controversial document.