Residents have questioned the handling of the public inquiry into whether a Whitchurch park should be protected from developers.

About 20 householders attended the second day of a three-day inquiry yesterday at the Council House.

They believe the inquiry is being hindered because two key men have not been asked to give evidence. The Elmtree Park Residents' Association (EPRA) wants to secure town green status for the 15 acres of land behind Asda in Oatlands Avenue, so that it can never be built on.

The case rests on the formal status of the land, and whether it was changed in 1980. Questioning council treasury employee Philip Hodges yesterday, EPRA's barrister Daniel Bennett made it clear he felt one former and one current council employee – Mr Miles and Mr Clarke – should give evidence. He suggested they could shed more light on the status of the land as they were involved with council processes being discussed. He said: "This is not a public inquiry. This is in public, but it is not an inquiry. None of the witnesses who know anything about what we are discussing are here."

Christine Button, 66, of Cranwell Grove in Whitchurch, asked the inspector from the public seats whether the men could be forced to attend the inquiry.

Mrs Button, a part-time Asda worker whose husband is the chairman of EPRA, told the Evening Post: "I am so annoyed by the witnesses. They are not the people with the answers.

"We have worked so hard to get to this stage, and to be thwarted because someone is not here that could help the inquiry is frustrating. I don't see why they can't be forced to attend."

Hugh Rowley, 63, who is retired and also lives in Cranwell Grove, said: "I have no idea why some of these witnesses were produced. It seems there is a deliberate ploy to produce witnesses who can't assist us."

Inspector Lana Wood said: "The inquiry is a non-statutory inquiry, and it does not have the power of a court to compel the attendance of anyone."

"The point that has been made is that these two men could have attended the inquiry and have not. No one can compel them to attend, even the council."

William Webster, the barrister representing the council, which is opposing the move to make the land a town green, declined to comment on the matter when approached by the Post.

The land in question is opposite Hengrove Park, a large part of which has been earmarked for 690 new homes, a community hospital and a swimming pool.

The council claim the land was changed from land with development purposes to public open space in 1980.

This would mean that the land could not become a town green.

EPRA argue that the land has been designated as development land and used by local people as open space since 1964, and that its status was never changed in 1980.

The inquiry was expected to conclude today.