RESIDENTS aired their views on the future of a piece of green space in Picket Piece as it went before a government inspector.

David Wilson Homes and Wates Developments have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to change the use of land off of Ox Drove.

An initial application approved in 2010 to build up to 530 homes in Picket Piece protected the proposed site as a junior sports pitch, but the developers say this land is no longer needed.

They said a condition agreed by the borough council should be removed.

And on Wednesday representatives from Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), the developers and residents argued their points in front of inspector Jeremy Sargent, who will determine the future of the obligation.

According to Mr Sargent over 40 representations have been sent to the Inspectorate, and one of those was from Heather Neate, who said at the meeting: “This particular area forms part of the amenity of this estate. This is a well used area now and will continue to be over the next few years. We have used it to have sports activities, to play football.”

Like Mrs Neate, others mentioned the use by families of the green space.

Resident Hannah Flynn said: “Our family uses the green field... almost on a daily basis and I think we all value having that field there because our gardens are not big enough to get exercise.”

TVBC said that it has been in talks with the developers about the land, and had no reason to question that it would not be turned into a pitch and be handed over to the authority.

Senior planning officer Emma Jones said: “They [developers] seeded it, kept it in a good condition. It is not fenced, there is access to it for the public. There are no signs to say it should not be used by anybody for a particular reason.”

But for the developers, Nick Patterson-Neild said that the ground had not been bought into use.

He added: “It has not been bought forward to serve the development, it has not been bought into formal use.”

Mr Patterson-Neild also argued that there is also “ambiguity” of what defines a junior sports pitch, and this does not follow FA regulation, adding: “It is a smaller form of football that can be accommodated here”.

The developers have also lodged an application to build 16 homes on the land, should the condition be removed.