A PARISH councillor fighting the sale of part of a village recreation ground has collected a 640-name petition.

Malpas councillor Charles Higgie and former councillor Nevil Eaton have been campaigning against the building of houses on the top part of the field in Tilston Road.

Supporters say the initiative would provide up to eight desperately needed affordable homes for local people and the money from the land sale could be used to fund maintenance costs of equipment.

But Cllr Higgie, who lives in Oathills, Malpas, says once the field has gone 'it's gone forever'.

He said: 'I have been surprised how wonderfully well received the petition has been.

'I always thought the older people would oppose it because they know the history of the site. It was given to the people of Malpas to be held in trust as a recreation ground and to sell part of it goes against the spirit in which it was given.'

Cllr Higgie said when the land was donated by the Greenshield family it was simply a field and it was not until the 1950s that a maypole and slides started to appear.

'The idea by some that the play equipment is more important than the field is wrong,' he said.

'I have been amazed by the support of the young people.'

Cllr Higgie said the idea the top of the rec was 'scrubland' of no value was belied by the fact that until relatively recently it was used as a BMX track.

He said the rec had traditionally been supported by grants from the parish council and other bodies. If the rec committee received the capital receipts from the land sale this avenue would no longer be available.

He also challenged the notion that affordable homes were highly prized, saying a Muir scheme in Hampton Heath had to be advertised to generate interest.

Cllr Higgie fears the traffic generated by a housing development would add to congestion in the village.

He also expressed disappointment personal comments had been made about himself during the debate, and said he lacked confidence in the way the rec committee was being run.