HUNDREDS of people have protested against plans to build homes on a Hampshire park.

Winchester City Council wants to develop three grassy areas in Abbotts Barton, Winchester - including a chunk of parkland used by local children.

Around 50 houses could eventually be built.

But around 250 residents gathered at the park off Charles Close after the council moved another step closer to developing the land last week.

Lorna Chandler, 46, of community group Save the Parks set up to fight the plans, said the new housing would “wreck” the park.

She said: “Abbotts Barton estate is already high density housing. The gardens are all small but we are compensated because of the large park to play in.

“Winchester is a green city and needs to remain so. They have already built on Francis Gardens and they have got Barton Farm. What more do they want? River Park, Oram's Arbour?”

Mrs Chandler, who brought up her two teenage children in Abbotts Barton, added: “I think the sheer number of people who came out to this was an overwhelming response to the council. Residents are not unsympathetic to having council housing but we are concerned this will set a precedent for building on open space in a city which is deprived of open space.”

A housing committee has now started a consultation on 'appropriating' council-owned open spaces for development.

Chaundler Road resident Brian Espiner told the committee residents felt they had not been listened to.

He said: “I fear that reasonable solutions supplied by the local community have not been investigated thoroughly enough and that we have been ignored.”

But Andrew Palmer, head of new homes delivery, said: “This is land we have discussed with the local community at two public consultations and we think it is perfectly feasible to continue Charles Close around the other side of the buildings.”

Housing portfolio holder Cllr Ian Tait, who was sacked from Cabinet on Tuesday, added: “This is just the appropriation of the land. We will follow this up with a planning application as I have said repeatedly and we will have no benefit because we are the applicant. It's the same test as for everyone else.”

Residents have also put in a village green application for land at Dyson Drive, which has yet to be formally advertised because of a backlog of such applications.

But Cllr Tait refused to answer questions about that application.

He said: “There are commercial sensitivities here and we will not go into dialogue with people who are clearly our opponents.”