PLANS are being readied to build houses on one of Cirencester’s most cherished green spaces.

Developer Baylight Properties wants to build 72 homes on the hilly area between Berry Hill Crescent and Bowling Green Avenue, known affectionately by locals as the Humpty Dumps.

The company planned to build 100 homes in 2010, but was delayed as residents sought to protect the land from development by applying for the area to be designated with village green status.

Despite the best efforts of Friends of the Humpty Dumps, Gloucestershire County Council decided in April not to grant the status.

A leaflet was delivered to nearby homes this week informing residents about the new housing plans.

It read: ‘This proposal has reduced the number of houses and provided large areas of open space to reflect the semi-rural nature of the area."

However, those living nearby remain fiercely opposed to any development on the land, which children have been playing on for generations.

Tim Bennett is a member of Friends of the Humpty Dumps, who plan to fight Baylight all the way.

He said: “Lots of people use the area, kids play on it and people walk their dogs there.

“If they build there it’ll be a real blot on the landscape and the nearest fenced-off park area will probably be the Abbey Grounds.

“Then there’s the infrastructure. They want to build 72 houses – what’s that going to do to the schools and traffic in the area?”

A public meeting to allow residents and other interested parties to discuss the new plans will be chaired by the mayor of Cirencester Mark Harris, in whose ward the proposal falls.

It will take place on Wednesday next week at 7.30pm, at Cirencester Rugby Football Club.

Mayor Harris explained that as well as talking about the housing proposals, he would also like the meeting to act as a starting point to initiate a new group for people in the area.

He said: “The idea for the meeting is twofold.

“First, to discuss the Humpty Dumps and what can be done to counter the development, and second, to talk about starting a local group for the Bowling Green Area so the people there can talk through community issues like this.”

In May, the Standard reported claims from local man Godfrey Curtis that the Humpty Dumps may contain asbestos. The 58-year-old said he remembers workmen dumping a load of asbestos at the site when he was a boy.

Baylight has promised that 50 per cent of the 4.9 hectare site will be affordable housing. The land is owned by Piper Ventures Limited.