RESIDENTS who fear developers will try to build hundreds of homes on green belt land are being urged not to panic.

The prospect of more than 300 homes being built on land at Manor Farm, Kinson has been a long-running concern for residents.

The land has recently been sold and it is feared that the new owners will try to argue it would be suitable for a large housing development and a Moors Valley-style country park.

The argument was put forward by Savills as part of the Bournemouth Local Plan review in 2011 but rejected by a planning inspector.

Kinson North councillor Dennis Gritt said: “There are no plans in to build anything there and I would have thought, in light of the recent problems, anybody would think very carefully before developing there as a lot of it is in a flood plain.

“We keep getting these rumours but until I hear of any application coming in to the planning committee then I won’t take much notice.”

Mark Axford, the council’s principal planning policy officer, said: “As part of the Bournemouth Local Plan review in 2011 the previous owners of Kinson Manor Farm promoted the development of this green belt land for 320 dwellings and a country park.

“The council was successful in retaining the land as green belt with the inspector finding no reason to allocate it for development. However, the council is aware that the site has since been sold.”