RESIDENTS fighting to preserve green space between two north Lancashire villages have handed over a petition signed by more than 1,100 people.

Villagers from Bolton-le-Sands and Slyne-with-Hest presented the document to the head of Lancaster City Council's planning committee, Cllr Janice Hanson, at a full council meeting.

The petition urges Lancaster City Council not to build on green belt GB4 - land between Manor Lane, Slyne-with-Hest and Greenwood Avenue, Greenwood Drive, Greenwood Crescent and Pinewood Avenue, Bolton-le-Sands - as

outlined in the recent consultation Developing a Local Plan for Lancaster District 2011-2031.

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In a speech, Allan Denham, from the Save our Villages, Save our Green Belt campaign group, said that the green belt (known as GB4) "was originally designated to separate the two communities of Bolton-le-Sands and Slyne-with-Hest, a function which it still admirably performs today. The land meets not one but all five policies of the National Planning Policy Framework for green belt land".

Councillors were told that if GB4 were to be developed, the high-value site overlooking Morecambe Bay and the Lake District would "inevitably see the construction of expensive luxury homes" to maximise developer profits, thus creating "a lose-lose situation". Slyne Conservation Area would lose its two principle views, and new workers coming to the area would lose the opportunity of sustainable homes close to areas of work, said Mr Denham.

Lancaster City Council is considering building up to 500 new properties on land west of the A6 at Hest Bank, opposite Slyne Hall Heights. The proposal is part of the council's recent public consultation on ways to create up to 14,000 homes and 9,500 jobs by 2031 across the district.

Campaigners say their petition "strengthens public opposition already evident from 340 letters written to the council in their recent consultation".

At the full council meeting, Lancaster City Council agreed to defer full consideration of the issue until a draft local plan is debated in due course.