Campaigners fighting proposals to build thousands of new homes in and around Long Ashton are holding a protest picnic for the community to come together and show the level of opposition to the plans.

The Hands off Long Ashton (HOLA) group is holding the picnic on a field off the footpath at Monarch's Way on tomorrow from 3pm.

The field, which is part of Fenswood Farm and currently let to a local farmer, is owned by Bristol University.

University chiefs have drawn up a blueprint to use the 69-hectare site for 1,200 new homes, shops, business units and a new school.

They say the land, nestled between the rail line to Weston and the A370 Long Ashton bypass, is likely to become surplus to the university's requirements as its research needs change.

Campaigners are objecting to the proposal and decided to hold a picnic to highlight to residents what could be lost if the development goes ahead.

HOLA is also fiercely campaigning against the plans as part of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) to build 10,000 homes – a town the size of Clevedon called Ashton Park – on green belt land in the Ashton Vale.

They are also concerned at plans to build hundreds of new homes on the former Barrow Gurney Hospital site.

HOLA leaders are hoping hundreds of people will join the protest picnic.

HOLA spokesman Bill Roberts said: "We chose this site as it is one under threat of development and close to the village.

"We wanted to hold this event to celebrate the village as it is now and publicise our fight against these proposed developments.

"These developments will destroy the village."We want the people of Long Ashton to see what could be lost if these threatened developments go ahead."

The group has also launched a petition against all the proposed developments and so far has collected 1500 signatures.

They plan to hand the petition – calling for the RSS to be dropped - to Government chiefs later this month.

HOLA has also penned its own song called 'We Don't Want Your Houses' to the tune of 'My Old Man's a Dustman' which it will be singing at the protest picnic.

They are also asking people to bring along picnic food shaped as houses to the event.

Mr Roberts said: "We have asked people to bring along cakes and sandwiches shaped as houses so we can ceremoniously eat them at the picnic.

"We want to make it clear to the government and the developers that we do not want all these homes on our doorstep.

"We want to retain Long Ashton as a village and need to make sure that those in charge know the strength of feeling against the proposals."

Anyone wanting to join the picnic can meet outside the Chestnut Dental Practice at 2.45pm for the short walk to the site. For more information visit www.handsofflongashton.org.uk.