POOLE and Bournemouth residents have joined together to fight a massive development on their doorsteps.

Despite enormous opposition, including from Natural England and wildlife bodies keen to protect precious heathland, controversial residential plans are being recommended for approval.

The opposition to Talbot Village Trust’s proposals for 450 student units and 378 new homes will be taken before a special Poole planning committee meeting on Wednesday.

Residents from both boroughs, along with Bournemouth Borough Council, have objected to the controversial plans, on land south of Wallisdown Road, which they fear will encroach on the heath and add to traffic problems on the busy A3049.

But the plans, which include 132 affordable homes, have the support of Bournemouth University and the Arts University College, whose students will benefit from the development.

Talbot View resident, Veronica Trevett, who will be presenting a petition of more than 1,200 signatures of objection, said: “Wallisdown Road is chaos at the best of times. Here we are going to double the number of people who live there.”

She added: “We don’t want to lose the cows, the sheep and farm. We don’t want to lose the open space.”

Bournemouth’s Talbot and Branksome Woods Residents’ Association has maintained its objections over the 10 years the development has been on the table.

Chairman Allen Weager said: “Despite the mass of consultants’ reports, the proposals fail to satisfy us they can be implemented and overcome our concerns.”

However, as part of its proposal, Talbot Village Trust is including an investment in the heath and its wildlife of more than £1.2m, 26 acres of farmland will revert to heath, there will be a buffer zone, cat-proof fence and better access for fire engines.

“Many objectors seem to think we are planning to encroach on the heath itself,” said trustee James Gibson Fleming. “This is simply not true. The housing is set well back and in fact we want to invest significantly in the improvement and the extension of the heath and certainly not build upon it.”

Poole council, which has sent out 700 letters to those who have made representations, has concluded that the plan would not adversely affect the integrity of the heathland.

But Natural England says there will be an “overall adverse effect on the integrity of the special site”.

Stephen Thorne, the borough’s head of planning and regeneration, said: “I acknowledge that this has been the subject of immense public interest but I can assure residents that all of their comments have been considered in arriving at a conclusion that members will debate and decide at a special planning meeting.”

It takes place at 10am on Wednesday at the Hamworthy Club, Magna Road and is expected to last all day.