“SAVE the Humpty Dumps”. The placards are unequivocal and show us one thing - residents are deeply worried about their much-loved green space disappearing.


Just days after the proposal had been pushed though post-boxes, the community has rallied.


A meeting was organised, the Standard was contacted and more than 20 people turned out at short notice for a photo showing their disdain for the proposal.


People, in short, do not want the development.


 For the residents who live nearby, and in many ways rely on, the Humpty Dumps it has been a long battle.


The first proposal to build on the area was mooted in 2010. Five years on and after an unsuccessful battle to get the space designated a ‘village green’, their fight has only just begun.


Many will see this proposal as the latest in a long line of green spaces being swallowed up by housing estates.


While no one argues the need for housing, many will question why they’ve picked here – a cherished area where children play.


This week also brings news the consultation has begun on the Chesterton development, another divisive proposal.


The 2,350 houses proposed to be bolted onto the side of Cirencester will fulfil its housing needs for a generation.


But will more than 2,000 new families put too much pressure on Cirencester’s already creaking infrastructure?