A battle cry has gone out for people to help fight plans for a massive warehouse between Fleet and Farnborough.

The Pyestock plan was unanimously thrown out by Hart District Council planners during a packed meeting at the Princes Hall, Aldershot, in March.

But joint developers Prupim and Astral have appealed and the issue will be thrashed out before a government-appointed planning inspector during a four-week public inquiry starting on Tuesday next week.

SPLAT (Stop Pyestock bLot Act Today), the pressure group opposing the mega-depot, has urged people to attend the inquiry.

It said the most important sessions to attend were the opening on Tuesday at Hart Leisure Centre in Hitches Lane, Fleet, at 10am and the public evening session when people can have their say at 7pm on Thursday, December 4, also at the leisure centre.

Councillors of all political persuasions have vowed to attend the first day and fight the plan.

Cllr Carol Leversha, Tory county councillor for Farnborough West, warned: “The jobs that will be on offer will be filled by people from outside the area because our unemployment levels are among the lowest in Hampshire.”

Liberal Democrat Adrian Collett, who represents Yateley East on Hampshire County Council, warned it would have a devastating effect.

He said: “People in the Pondtail ward of Hart and the Southwood and St John’s wards of Farnborough will be most affected by having this 24-hour a day operation on their doorstep.”

“However, if these lorries are travelling to the M4 then they will go straight down Cricket Hill in Yateley and then on through Sandhurst or Eversley.”

“There will be more lorries leaving that site each day than planes taking off from Heathrow — it really will be horrendous.”

Steven Moss, project director for Prupim, said the development would generate no more traffic than could be generated by bringing the existing useable buildings back into use.

He said: “There is a major need for distribution facilities in the south-east and there are very few brownfield sites identified.”

Mr Moss said the site is ideally located and would offer substantial employment opportunities, clean up the contaminated site and bring it back into more productive use.

Residents have donated more than £27,000 to help SPLAT.

Group spokeswoman Shan Healey said: “However, we still need financial help. Please keep supporting us. Together we can win.”

For more details about the SPLAT campaign call 01252 679773 or email admin@splat-hq.co.uk