A councillor has said he is “disgusted and appalled” over Hampshire County Council’s U-turn on plans to turn Hamble airfield into a quarry.

The authority shocked protesting primary school pupils and residents on Tuesday in Winchester at a public inquiry into Cemex plans that had been previously rejected.

The county council surprised locals by now saying that it now “accepts that planning permission should be granted”.

The Daily Echo understands councillors had not been informed before the change and Cllr Keith House condemned the council, saying the “sooner” the authority is “abolished the better”.

READ MORE: Hamble residents 'abandoned' by Hampshire County Council over quarry

Cllr House said: “I am disgusted and appalled that County planners have withdrawn their objections to Cemex without taking the issue back to the County’s Planning Committee.

“I will be speaking at the Appeal on Friday supporting local residents and Hamble Parish Council who between them have mounted a spirited campaign to say no to the Planning Inspector. The sooner the County Council is abolished the better.”

Cemex is appealing the decision to refuse planning permission to extract 250,000 tons of sand and gravel a year from the Hamble airfield site.

Hamble Valley MP Paul Holmes said elected politicians agreed in the area that if the quarry goes ahead “it would literally destroy Hamble village”.