There was standing room only last night at a packed public meeting to discuss the next step in the battle against a park and ride scheme on the edge of Bath.

Around 250 people packed into Batheaston Methodist Church Hall to call for a public inquiry into plans for a 1,400-space site at Bathampton Meadows.

They raised concerns about the impact on the environment, the cost and the size of the site.

Plans for the Bath and North East Somerset Council project, which is part of the £50 million Bath Transportation Package, were approved in principle by its own development control committee last month.

It has now been referred to senior officials at the Government Office for the South West (GoSW) because it is not mentioned in the district's local plan.

They will decide whether to allow the council permission to stand - or call the scheme in for a public inquiry.

Councillors and speakers from various groups in Bath turned up to register their views at last night's meeting, which was attended by the council's transport and planning director David Trigwell and the senior official in charge of the project, Peter Dawson.

Bath Heritage Watchdog spokesman Patrick Hutton said it was objecting because of concerns about the impact on the conservation areas and setting.

He said: "A prime area for consideration is the views out of the city, which will be destroyed if this goes ahead.

"The views are equally as important as Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths.

"I don't feel that enough weight has been given to this aspect of the proposals."

Claverton councillor David Batho gave a presentation on behalf of the parish councils of Bathampton, Batheaston, Bathford, Limpley Stoke, Claverton, and Freshford.

He said their main objectives were that it was not in keeping with the character of the area, and would adversely affect the setting of listed buildings, such as St Nicholas Church, and Bathampton toll bridge.

Jane Brown from the Bath Preservation Trust told the meeting: "Bath's green belt is of national and international significance.

"The city and setting needs to be looked at as a whole.

"The trust believes that siting 1,000 plus cars here could only be contemplated if there was certainty of real benefit to the historical core of Bath. However, we, along with English Heritage, do not think that the council has made this case."

Major Tony Crombie, vice-chairman of the Bath Society, said he was impressed by the amount of people present.

He said: "I have yet to see a campaign so well run and so widely supported.

"You all form part of the battle, and good luck to you all."

The meeting was held by the Save Bathampton Meadows group, which is urging for people to write letters to GoSW calling for a public inquiry to be held.

Group spokeswoman Catharine Freeman said: "I am really pleased by the amount of people that turned up, it's brilliant.

"The message is that we can still save the meadows from destruction."

Mr Trigwell told the meeting: "Bath has a big transport problem which will not go away. Big problems require big solutions and this is only a part of it."

Anyone wanting to get involved in the campaign can visit www.savebathamptonmeadows.org.uk, or email info@savebathamptonmeadows.org.uk.