A PROTEST is being held next Saturday as a last ditch effort to prevent 450 homes from being built on green belt land in Stapleford.
A decision on whether to build at Field Farm, off Ilkeston Road, will be made at a development control committee meeting on April 10.
Stapleford and Trowell Rural Action Group (STRAG) was set up to fight the plans and says that a housing development on the site will not be sustainable.
Richard MacRae, of Ilkeston Road, said: "This is not just something that STRAG are against, it's something that people all around here in Stapleford don't want to see happen.
"There are other, better sites that could be used for housing and the council should look at them first.
"Things have changed since the housing plans were first looked at.
"High Speed trains are coming and other sites now look better placed for housing. April 10 is too early to be making this kind of decision."
STRAG has also said the housing would destroy an ecological corridor, lead to the loss of valuable recreational space and have severe traffic impact on the area.
The rally will be held on the car park of King George's Park in Town Street, Bramcote, for one hour from 11am.
Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry says she is against the idea of houses being built on green belt land.
She added: "We have enough brownfield land in the borough for over 3,000 new homes.
"That meets our housing needs and safeguards what little green belt we have left."
Broxtowe Borough Council held a consultation on the site last year when 564 people replied, with 70 per cent against the idea of building on the site.
Despite this, the authority still considers Field Farm a "preferred" site for house building in Broxtowe, as it aims to find space for more than 6,000 homes over the next two decades.
Councillor David Watts, of the council, has previously said: "Sadly, there is no way that the housing needs can be met fully within existing brownfield sites.
"We have to look at releasing one green field site.
"I know many people have said that if we do release green belt land then all the brownfield sites should be developed first, and if this was possible then we would do this.
"However the law simply does not permit us to take this approach."
Cristina Chapman, spokeswoman for Westerman Homes, previously told the Post that Broxtowe Borough Council identified Field Farm as a site for development.
