CONCERNED residents say they are ready to fight plans for 100 houses on fields in East Harnham.

It emerged last week that the landowners want to develop the nine-acre greenfield site in Britford Lane.

People living in Britford Lane, Burford Avenue and Burford Road met this week to discuss forming a protest group "Save Our Meadows".

They will soon be writing to neighbours tell them about the plans and muster support for the campaign.

A separate online petition calling for the plans to be scrapped has gathered more than 150 signatures.

It is not certain who launched the petition, which land agent Alasdair Jones-Perrott says contains several inaccuracies.

It says: "The green fields of Salisbury are rapidly being eradicated to make way for ugly, Identikit housing estates."

It claims the fields are among the city's most beautiful sites and the Earl of Radnor, who owns half of the site, has "absolutely no right to destroy them".

Residents fear building on the land will worsen flooding in the area, although the Environment Agency does not class the site as part of the flood plain.

Mr Jones-Perrott said the site had been promoted through the council's Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) and had already been assessed for flooding by the council.

He added that the development would be sustainable and would engage local character with a "high standard of design, materials and architectural vernacular", while adding value to the city.

Mr Jones Perrott said the site was neither flood plain, nor water meadow, nor a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Responding to councillor Ian Tomes's comments last week, councillor Sven Hocking said residents did not want a "radical change" or to be given something the "community really wants in its place".

He said: "The local community would like to keep the green space next to the river, thanks very much, and so do I."

It seems unlikely a planning application will be submitted until later this year.