ESTOVER Park could be cleared to help make way for thousands of homes across March, a council consultation document has revealed.

Residents said they were “very concerned” about the loss of the playing field as well as other rural amenities and the potential for extra traffic at a meeting held to discuss the Fenland Communities Development Plan over the weekend.

The District Council says it needs to build 11,000 more homes across the district to “meet the needs of a growing workforce”.

Its core strategy suggests focusing growth of “safe and high quality design” developments in Fenland’s market towns and suggests a series of sites including the Estover Road Playing Field and land behind Kingswood Park.

“Through growth, current issues such as community deprivation, infrastructure deficit and low skills, will be tackled and addressed,” the council says.

“Growth will attract investment, attract businesses and attract new residents to the district.”

However Trevor Watson, who helped organise a meeting at Estover Park on Saturday (August 18) said: “I think this a mad plan.

“All present were very concerned about the scale of development proposed, the loss of our rural amenity, the traffic that would be generated by this development and of course the potential loss of the playing field.”

He added that residents living in the area “care passionately about Fenland”, making it “important to retain the special qualities that make our district unique”.

“We shall lose our rural market identity and be swamped by large scale urban developments. Goodbye rural March!” Mr Watson said.

The Core Strategy says: “Overall, sustainable growth will build a stronger, better and more sustainable Fenland.”

The council is appealing to residents to submit their views as part of the ongoing consultation on the website www.fenland.gov.uk.