THE Wareham Middle School playing fields saga has made it all the way to the House of Commons.

Angry residents launched a bid to save the fields from developers after Dorset County Council bosses revealed their intentions to sell off the land in a bid to help plug their £67m budget black hole.

The middle school will shut in 2013, as part of the £35m district-wide switch from a three to a two tier education system, but local residents had believed its playing fields would continue being used by the town’s junior football team and cricket side.

Part of the land will be handed to Lady St Mary’s First School, but the remainder could be sold for development.

Now MP Annette Brooke, who represents the Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency, has sought assurances from Schools Minister Nick Gibb to scrutinise any proposal to sell off the land “very carefully.”

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mrs Brooke said: “There is widespread community use of the fields, and there is particular opposition to the site being sold for an out of town supermarket and its possible replacement with inferior provision.”

In his response Mr Gibb revealed the county council had not, as yet, filed an application to sell the playing fields.

Under strict school standard guidelines the county has to seek secretary of state approval in order for any sale to take place.

Mr Gibb said if such an application is made, advice from the independent school playing fields advisory panel would be sought before any decision was made.

Mrs Brooke said: “We must keep fighting to protect Wareham’s playing fields.

“I think that everybody agrees that they must be retained for community use, as they are an area of huge importance to local sports teams.”

Residents believe the site will be sold for housing or a supermarket, but local planning authority Purbeck District Council is opposed to any supermarket development on its patch.

Locals have already established the Save Wareham Playing Fields group.