A developer has urged Wycombe District Council not to “destroy” protected woodland and a valued recreation ground by building a road to a new housing development on a reserve site – and is pleading with the council to delay their decision.

At a cabinet meeting tonight, district councillors will make a decision on the development brief for Terriers Farm, which is on the northern side of High Wycombe between the town and Hazlemere.

The brief will outline the plans for the former reserve site – which was released for development by WDC in October 2014 – which could include up to 500 new homes.

Beaconsfield-based developer, Jansons Property, is calling on WDC to rethink the plans – particularly the idea for new roads into the site, one which would continue from De Havilland Drive, cutting through beech woodland that is protected by a tree preservation order (TPO) and another from Trinity Road through Hazlemere recreation ground.

The developer owns a portion of the land next to the site and has suggested the council could instead create an access point through their land – which includes Totteridge Common - in a bid to save the woodland and Hazlemere recreation ground.

Despite attempts to work with the council on a solution, the “frustrated” developer says WDC has been “unwilling” to consider it.

Jansons spent three days talking to residents in the area about the proposed alternative plans – with 42 per cent of people asked saying they were not aware of the plans for new roads to Terriers Farm.

Andy Jansons, managing director of Jansons Property said: “We are offering a sensible solution that has the local community support which would prevent the destruction of protected woodland and have a negative impact to the much valued Hazlemere recreation ground.

“We urge the councillors to review the alternative we are proposing before they approve the Development Brief. All we are asking from the cabinet is to defer this decision on Monday evening.

“We hope that councillors recognise that this could help solve this issue while listening to residents.”

In response, a spokesman for Wycombe District Council said: “The development brief we are presenting to cabinet for Terriers Farm - including the Janson land - has been the subject of extensive public consultation and has had considerable input from a specially formed liaison group of local people representing the parish, local community and amenity groups. We have looked at range of access options for the site as part of this process.

“Working with the liaison group, we have ruled out the Janson proposal of putting a road across Totteridge Common because we want to preserve the open nature of the common, as the common provides an all-important gap between the town and Hazlemere.”