Hugglescote residents have been urged to make their objections known as soon as possible, in a bid to stop houses being built on part of the Ashburton Road Recreation Ground.

An Extraordinary meeting of Hugglescote & Donington le Heath Parish Council was called on Thursday evening at the Community Centre.

This followed landowners The Harley Trust issuing a statement confirming that it had entered into a contract with Nottingham-based MyPad, a privately-owned residential developer specialising in the delivery of partnership housing schemes.

The statement says a planning application for affordable homes on the Farmer's Field - with the Recreation Ground being 'gifted' to the Parish Council as part of the process. The 'Reccy' was listed as an asset of community value last year.

The Trust wants to transfer the lease for the Recreation Ground from North West Leicestershire District Council to the Parish Council.

But a packed hall at the Community Centre made it clear that local people did not want the development to take place.

Council chair Cllr Russell Johnson described the move as a case of 'pulling the wool over people's eyes'.

The Recreation Ground at Ashburton Road

The Parish Council put in a bid to buy both fields from the Harley Trust in December - the figure is confidential - which was turned down the following month.

Residents voted to allow the council to put in another bid which has to be made by the end of this month.

It was pointed out that if a Public Works Loan were to be taken out to buy the land, then it would have to be paid for in the form of a Council Tax rise.

However, with planning permission still to be applied for, the meeting was told that multiple objections could be made to the development.

If the planning was refused, then it likely that a developer would not be interested in the site.

Residents were also advised to write to the District Council leader, Cllr Richard Blunt, and deputy leader, Cllr Michael Wyatt.

But it was made clear that any response had to happen immediately.

Cllr Johnson said: "'The statement that was put out intimated that the Parish Council are okay with it.

"But The Harley Trust hasn't been in touch with us since we put that bid in - not once.

"So if they try to dress it up like that, we'll refute that.

"I look at this as trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the community into accepting the development, so that we have the Recreation Ground.

"It doesn't work like that, we know there'll be strings attached. I don't believe it for a second.

"Our intention is to put another bid in and see where it goes."

He told the meeting; "You have a part to play as well. Everyone's in the same boat, we all don't like it.

"I'm a great believer in people power. I want to keep the Recreation Ground for generations.

"There are some fairytales on social media, I saw one comment that it's a 'done deal', that's not right.

"If you lie down and let the elephant trample on top of you, fine. I don't want to do that."

It was also suggested that an action committee or steering group was set up, and that a future application could be made to give the land Village Green status.

Cllr Catherine Lofthouse said: "The bid we put in last December was based on the valuation we were given.

"We want both fields to be used as recreation land, which is what it's used for now.

"I'm assuming that everyone in the village wants the fields to stay as they are, as the Parish Council does."

The Harley Trust's statement to the Parish Council adds: "The charity accepts that the proposals will raise some objections from local residents, but understands that any proposals will be subject to the planning process enforced by North West Leicestershire District Council."