HUNDREDS of residents of a Hampshire village have signed a petition in a bid to save their recreation ground from destruction by civic chiefs.

Up to 420 residents of Stubbington near Fareham have signed the petition in a bid to stop Fareham borough council turning Stroud Green recreation ground into allotments.

The council has unveiled plans to extend its allotments on Stroud Green lane onto the green in a bid to curb demand for allotment spaces in the borough.

Currently, the site has 50 plots but the council is looking to add an additional 35 claiming there are more than 80 people in Hillhead and Stubbington waiting to get an allotment.

That is almost three times the average of the number of people in the borough on other allotment waiting lists.

Maureen Scott, who has lived on Stroud Green Lane for the last ten years, said: “The plans are completely unacceptable and they should be dropped completely.

“The proposed site would mean a loss of an important recreation ground which was donated to locals more than 150 years ago, it’s a vital community asset.“The council also own the Daedalus site which will have more than 26 acres of public open space so to fulfil the waiting lists so they should build them there.”

Carol Masson, who has also lived on the lane for 18 years, said: “It’s unsuitable and unfair, people already block my driveway already to access them.“The road that we live on is a single track road so the more traffic that comes up and down will mean there could prove more hazardous for pedestrians and car drivers as well as taking away vital land for recreation.”

UKIP Councillor Carolyn Heneghan, who represents Stubbington on the council added: “Protecting our only green public area North of Stubbington village is very important and the Council underestimated the significance of this land to the neighbourhood.”

Land near Gosport Road was previously put forward however residents were told the site was no longer suitable because of the construction of the Stubbington Bypass.

Borough council leader Councillor Sean Woodward said: “The plans at the moment are only in consultation and no decision has yet been made.”

The plans will be decided by council bosses later this year.