People living near a 115-year-old Merseyside playing field have stepped up their campaign to stop the field being built on.
A petition to stop a development on Noctorum Field, near Birkenhead, has got 849 signatures.
The field is part of the independent Birkenhead School and is seen as integral to the character of the area by the Noctorum Ridge Residents Association - a group set up to oppose the school’s plans.
Carmel Nolan, a member of the association, said: “The school will argue it has an obligation to its 900 pupils to manage its assets.
“But we hope Wirral Council's planning team will uphold their obligation to maintain Birkenhead's too few green and pleasant assets for the benefit and sensitive development going forward of its near 90,000 residents.
"Noctorum Ridge is a beautiful green corridor along the Birkenhead backbone of the Wirral.
“The numbers coming forward to sign [the petition] really do show great demand to conserve our playing fields and our natural environment for the benefit of our fellow Birkenhead townsfolk and those beyond."
The Birkenhead School plans to build up to 33 “high-quality homes” on the land, but were slow to reveal their ideas to local residents.
Ms Nolan added: “Many of our residents only found out second hand about the school proposals to get planning permission for houses on its playing field.
“Rumour is not proper consultation so there is a lot of upset in the neighbourhood and frankly the school's lack of manners are turning it [the school] into nothing short of a nuisance neighbour to many.”
The school said the field is currently “under-used” and the plan to build a mixture of “aspirational homes and associated gardens” will help fulfil Wirral Council’s housing need without building on Green Belt land.
The money made by the school will go into sports facilities, which local people will be able to use.
They include improvements to pitches at Old Parkonian and Prenton rugby clubs, four new cricket wickets at McAllester Field and a brand new, multi-functional sports hall.
Money gained from the plans would also be used to expand the school’s bursary programme.
A spokesperson for The Birkenhead School, said: “Noctorum Field is private land and whilst we understand a section of the community locally are opposed to this development, we’d like to thank those who have positively engaged with our consultation.
“The field is not open to the general public and we therefore believe the petition may be misleading to local residents.
“The capital which would be raised from the sale of Noctorum Field would ensure we can further open up our bursary programme to children across the community.
“It will also help us ensure we can invest in sports facilities and pitches, not just in the school but for neighbouring sports clubs."
