An amateur rugby club has turned down millions of pounds offered by developers who are vying to buy up greenbelt land around Bristol.

One company offered £250,000 an acre for Bristol Barbarians' 11-acre site at Norton Lane in Whitchurch – a total of £2.75m.

According to club chairman Stevie White, of Runswick Road, Brislington, developers have been offering "silly money" for the past two years since they heard the Government was going to tear up the greenbelt to meet new housing targets.

But the rugby players said: "No thanks, we're not selling."

They are particularly annoyed because they asked for planning permission for a clubhouse two years ago – and were turned down by a rugby-playing Government planning inspector, who said it would spoil the view.

Flooring firm owner Mr White, aged 38, who is known to team mates as 'Badger', said: "We've had loads of offers from builders including Bovis and Redrow. It all started about two years ago.

"One company offered us land at Pensford for a new ground but that's too far out of Bristol.

"We have 11 acres at Norton Lane and they want the lot. We've had silly offers."

The players have heard that up to 500 houses could have been built on their land when the new Regional Spatial Strategy comes into force this summer.

Despite massive local opposition to what campaigners say are "ludicrous" house numbers in the 20-year strategy, the Government is expected to approve the plan which will allow building on the greenbelt.

More than 150 people packed a public meeting in Whitchurch last October to voice concern at plans for 9,500 homes in the area – 8,000 in the Bath and North East Somerset district and 1,500 within the Bristol boundary.

Developers are anticipating an economic recovery and easing of the planning rules. They have been approaching local farmers to buy their land.

Bristol Barbarians RFC bought their land at Norton Lane in 1995.

Their changing rooms were burnt down by vandals and they got planning permission to build a clubhouse in 1999.

But they couldn't afford to build it at the time and the consent lapsed.

The club put in a new plan for a clubhouse two years ago but were turned down by Bath and North East Somerset Council.

They appealed against the decision but lost – on greenbelt grounds.

In a statement B&NES said: "The site is located within the greenbelt where restrictive planning policies apply and the inspector agreed with the council that the extension was harmful to the openness of the greenbelt and the landscape character of the area.

"The council is not objecting in principle to any further development at the site, but the size and siting of the proposal were considered to be unacceptable and need to reconsidered."

A local resident has made a film showing the areas of greenbelt in Whitchurch which are under threat.

It will be shown at Whitchurch Community Centre on April 19.