The chairman of a residents association near to the Terriers Farm reserve site has expressed his "grave concerns" that it might be released for development next week.

Richard Atkinson, chairman of the Brands Hill Residents’ Association, said those living near to Terriers Farm have "sympathy" with Wycombe District Council, who are proposing to release five sites across the district, but that the number of homes that might be built on the area near Kingshill Road is a worry.

Mr Atkinson said: "Our broad position is that we have got sympathy with the council about the need for housing in the area but we have grave concerns about the form the development will take.

"The sites have been reserved for a long time, since about 1954 so this is nothing new.

"There has been a shift in the national government approach to planning. Terriers Farm has been rejected many times for development in the past.

"The planning department is advising the council we have got to provide some land around here for 600 new homes a year for the next five years to meet the forecast growth and it’s better to release five sites in one way than to just have the developers take the initiative."

Mr Atkinson said he appreciates the district council’s position, as they are required to meet the guidelines set out by central government to meet the specified housing quota.

While releasing the sites will allow the council, and residents, to take a proactive rather than a reactive stance in relation to how the sites are used, he is worried about how the area’s infrastructure will cope with an increase in residential units.

He added: "There are already traffic issues and I worry how the area’s infrastructure will cope, such as school places, medical facilities and community facilities.

"We are urging the cabinet to consider that carefully. We are saying, please make sure you believe this is necessary and if you do, we want you to release all five sites at once, not just cherry pick some ones."

Wycombe District Council’s cabinet member for planning and sustainability, Neil Marshall, said it was essential that the council releases the sites in order for them to keep control of development across the district.

He said: "It’s a difficult challenge but we have to release the reserve sites in order to keep control of development.

"If cabinet approve the recommendation to release the reserve sites that means we can negotiate with the local communities to involve them in the sites’ use. It’s a proactive stance. We can get local working groups together so they can have an input.

"We have to show the planning inspector that we have got enough housing land to hit our targets for the next five years.

"If we release the sites then the council has a say in how they are developed."

Cabinet members on Wycombe District Council will be making their decision whether to release the sites on Monday.