HUNDREDS of people joined hands in protest of plans for 650 homes on green belt land near Merley.

Saturday’s demonstration was organised by action group Save Land North of Merley in response to Richborough Estates’ proposals.

The developer is expected to submit a planning application soon for 650 homes, plus a 60-bed care home, on the 90-acre plot south of the River Stour.

Under the new Poole Local Plan, which is set to be approved by councillors tomorrow, the land is due to be stripped of its green belt designation to accommodate a shortfall of 1,300 homes across Poole.

The land is one of two ‘strategic urban extensions’ in the area, the other one being green belt land north of Bearwood that is set to accommodate 800 homes.

Save Lane North of Merley fears the proposed development would have a detrimental impact on the conservation area of Canford Magna and Oakley Lane, and that the infrastructure would not be able to accommodate additional traffic.

Group member Frank Ahern told the Daily Echo the council’s claims there are ‘exceptional circumstances’ to remove the land from the green belt were “nonsense”.

“We simply don’t believe that. There are brownfield sites all over Poole which they’re not using.

“Paragraph 70 of the planning inspector’s report on the draft Poole Local Plan states with suitable traffic mitigation the developments 'would be unlikely to give rise to severe adverse traffic impacts' – this is not possible.

"Those who know the area well will know you cannot widen the road in the village and you can do nothing going down Oakley Hill because there are two bridges there.”

Mr Ahern will be objecting to the local plan on behalf of residents at tomorrow's council meeting.

Michaela Slatford, who helped organise the protest, said developing on the land would “totally destroy this community”.

“I’ve lived in Merley my whole life and I want my children to grow up here and to have the same experiences I had.

“The best-case scenario would be for this land to stay as green belt and come out of the local plan. If that doesn’t happen then we have to fight the developers and the planning applications, and this is going to be an ongoing battle for residents for a long time, I think.”

Merley and Bearwood councillor Marion Pope, said the protest showed the strength of local feeling about the development.

“Removing this land from the green belt makes the Conservative government’s promises of strong protection for the green belt very hollow,” she said.

According to the draft Poole Local Plan, there will be a 0.22 per cent reduction in the South East Dorset Green Belt. However, a “significant area of land” will be added to the green belt south of Bearwood, according to the plan.