HOMEOWNERS on Causeway Farm have hit back at claims that a massive new housing development could be built close to them.

The residents have voiced their concerns following a public meeting called by the newly formed Residents Against Development at Ramshill (RADAR) group which was set up to fight Bryant Homes plans for 276 homes there.

The Ramshill residents heard former policy and development manager at Portsmouth City Council, Ron Tate, say that the fate of the controversial plan for Ramshill was not a foregone conclusion.

He claimed other Petersfield sites should be considered for the development and added that the Causeway could meet the criteria for the 276 homes.

But this week Causeway residents hit back, questioning the need for more housing in Petersfield at all.

Chartered town planner Susan Organ, who is acting for local residents, commented: ÒThere is good reason for limiting future housing development in Petersfield. We believe that the promotion of The Causeway located to the south of the town is primarily an acknowledgement of the fact that residents will travel to work in the Portsmouth and Havant area, primarily by car.Ó

Another Causeway resident, Philip Haines, said the Causeway Farm site was only shown in the latest draft of East Hampshire District CouncilÕs local plan as a reserve site, not a baseline site.

ÒAs such it will not be considered until all baseline sites have been developed. As the plan will not now be adopted until 2005 at the earliest, this is well into the future.Ó

But a planning application proposing 275 houses on the Causeway Farm site may soon be submitted to East Hampshire District Council.

Ian Ellis, head of planning control at the district council, said on Wednesday he had no knowledge of the application. It had not been received and officers were not in negotiations with developers discussing the Causeway site.

He said the Causeway site was not currently allocated for any development in the adopted local plan and it was a green field site.