Plans to build up to 1,700 new homes on Green Belt land in Beaconsfield have been slammed by campaigners who say the town is being “targeted to take more than its share” of proposed new homes.

Almost 118 hectares could be removed from land near Wilton Park and the A40 Pyebush Roundabout, which The Beaconsfield Society campaigners say is “irreplaceable” land that will be “irretrievably sacrificed”.

Having pored over documents relating to the proposals, chairman Mike Elliott said: “The district council is already highly aware of the difficulties of the proposed massive expansion of the town so why is it pressing ahead?

“Its own consultation document warns that there are ‘considerable existing infrastructure pressures,’ and that Beaconsfield will be one of the areas of proposed house building that will be ‘most impacted by additional development’.

“In relation to transport, ‘increased levels of congestion’ on our roads, which are already under great stress both from local and through traffic makes land off the A355 the last place you would want to increase traffic.

“Imagine what an extra 4,000 people will do to the daily traffic jams we all encounter.”

South Bucks and Chiltern District councils, who are preparing a joint Local Plan for the two districts, said they received more than 3,000 responses to the Green Belt Preferred Options Consultation, which ended on Saturday, adding they could not comment on “individual submissions” now that it has closed.

A council spokesman said: “As the Green Belt Preferred Options consultation has now closed, the due process prevents any comment on individual submissions.

“We have received more than 3,000 responses which our officers will now carefully analyse for the next stage – a Draft Joint Local Plan.

“This will be the subject of further public consultation in 2017. We are greatly encouraged by the public interest in this important process, helping to plan positively to help meet development needs to 2036.”

Beaconsfield Town Council said it believes growth in the town is “essential” and without it, there will be “decline as the existing population ages” and the needs of the next generation will “continue to be ignored”.

A spokesman said: “For the town council to support release of Green Belt land it must be demonstrated that exceptional circumstances exist.

“The development must not only address the key issues of infrastructure but also achieve the maximum amount of affordable housing.

“In this context, the development must seek to include an appropriate volume of housing capped at a maximum of £350,000.”

The 1,700 figure includes 300 new homes at Wilton Park. The land sees the built-up area of Beaconsfield to the west and proposed alignment of the A355 relief road to the east.

See the full response by Beaconsfield Town Council here.