EAST HAMPSHIRE MP Michael Mates is backing Petersfield residents in their fight against "garden grab" developers who, they claim, are setting out to destroy the historic market town. Angry protesters are fighting plans to pull down two homes in Buckmore Avenue and replace them with what they say is a "mini- housing estate." Kebbell Homes made two applications to demolish numbers two and four Buckmore Avenue before Christmas. The first proposal was to replace the homes with six detached houses. A second proposals planned to build two separate development blocks, which would each contain six two-bedroom flats. Both applications were thrown out by East Hampshire district councillors and both are now the subject of appeals to a government planning inspector. Despite the strength of feeling objectors are now facing a third application from Kebbell Homes, this time to five detached houses o be put on the site of the two houses. And earlier this mont, residents called on Mates to support legislation which would outlaw what they see as "unacceptable development". They urged his by backing an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons by MP for Tunbridge Wells Greg Clark last week. Mr Clark's motion, which had all-party support, called on the Government to outlaw revised planning rules which allowed new housing to be developed on the gardens of existing homes. In a letter to the East Hampshire MP the chairman of the Buckmore Avenue Residents Association, Nevill Brooke, stated: "We felt you should be aware of the unrest and anger that is building up in your constituency. "With our two appeals to be decided by an external inspector and similar things going on in Tunbridge Wells, the issue is moving beyond the boundaries of Petersfield. "We need your urgent help and support therefore to keep these ruthless 'garden-grab' developers from destroying our town, which is likely to be at the centre of the proposed South Downs National Park." And this week the MP signalled his support for the protesters, by adding his signature to the motion in parliament. The motion objected to the ruling, and Mates declared that planning rules must be changed and quickly. He said the government had changed the rules to create a presumption that when a developer proposed knocking down a house and building new homes on the site, he should automatically be given planning permission. "I understand entirely why local people are unhappy at the demolition of perfectly good existing houses and their replacement with often inappropriate blocks of flats," he said this week. "The tragedy is that local councils are almost powerless to stop such infill development because the government have changed the rules so that town centre back gardens count as derelict or brownfield land. "These sites are not derelict land at all. "In truth, houses in good condition are being bought up and excessively large developments are replacing them. "This is destroying the character of some towns "In some cases whole streets of large houses and gardens have been bought up and redeveloped in this way. "There has been all-party support for a Bill in parliament to put a stop to this iniquitous situation. "I hope that Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott will listen to these concerns and allow local communities to decide whether these sort of developments should be allowed to take place." The Early Day Motion reads as follows: "This House notes the growing public concern over the damaging effect of inappropriate infill development on the character of local neighbourhoods; "It believes the Deputy Prime Minister's revision of Planning Policy Guidance 3 has resulted in poorly designed blocks of flats being crammed into suburban communities and the destruction of green spaces such as back gardens. "It calls on the government to revise planning guidance to give councils a greater say on local development, to deliver higher quality and design in new build, and to allow communities to protect the character of residential neighbourhoods." Protesters crowded into the debating chamber at Petersfield town council earlier this month. The protesters voiced their concerns on the matters when members of the planning committee looked at Kebbell Homes' latest "garden-grab" plan to build five detached houses after demolishing the two homes. Speaking on their behalf, Paul Farley totally condemned what he called "underhanded garden-grabbing tactics." He said the new plans were totally out of character with the semi-rural nature of Buckmore Avenue and the siting of the proposed new houses was only possible because of the significant breaching of the existing building line. He said the plans did not show the footprint of the existing homes: "Hiding the fact that the building line would be encroached nor does it show a tree preservation order that would prevent a garage being built."