RESIDENTS trying to stop 2,000 homes being built on a piece of Hampshire countryside have taken their fight to the streets.

Campaigners spent hours on the streets of Winchester calling for support to stop the development on land at Barton Farm.

They set up a stall beside the Buttercross in High Street and spent several hours encouraging people to sign forms that will be sent to Winchester City Council.

The authority is currently weighing up where to build 12,000 homes in the district during the next 20 years.

It has identified Barton Farm as one of the possible areas for development.

Last week Councillor George Beckett, who leads the authority, insisted that building on the site was not a done deal.

His comments came after a senior council officer told residents at a meeting at Micheldever Station that they had no option but to develop Barton Farm to meet housing targets.

The authority is seeking comments on its 20-year plan, and campaigners are trying to ensure that Barton Farm is spared from development.

However, those fighting the plans have argued that the council's feedback form is too complex.

To ensure that residents have their say, the campaigners have created a shorter version, and printed 1,000 copies.

Activists at the Buttercross were urging people to sign the simplified forms, which will then be sent to the council.

Gavin Blackman, chairman of the Save Barton Farm Group, said: "It's been going better than we anticipated, which is probably down to the dry weather.

"About 99 per cent of the comments we've received have been very positive.

"If people had said to us this morning that they wanted Barton Farm then we probably would have packed up and gone home, but they haven't."

He added that several hundred people had already signed the form calling on the local authority to block the proposal.

"What we're trying to do is to demonstrate the strength of feeling to the council, and one way we can do that is with the volume of responses," said Mr Blackman.

After manning the street stall, campaigners turned their attentions to delivering leaflets to homes near the site.