People in Shirehampton are being urged to take part in a picnic to campaign against the development of some open land.

Local campaigners and councillors are inviting people to take part in the Shire's Big Picnic event on Saturday.

The event, which will be held at the Lamplighters open space from noon until 3.30pm, has been organised to give residents the chance to show how much they appreciate both the Lamplighters and Daisy Field land, two areas which may be identified by council as of low value.

Organisers will issue leaflets to those attending the picnic, which will describe how residents can write to the council with their reasons why the land should not be designated low value or be put up for development.

Under the council's Parks and Green Spaces strategy, open space designated by the council as low value'will be sold off and developed, with the intention of enhancing remaining open space.

Responding to initial public objection to the possible proposals, new Avonmouth councillor Siobhan Kennedy Hall, with support from campaigner Charlotte Leslie, set up a petition to allow residents to voice their objections to the council's plans, which are due to go to public consultation next year.

Now, to further demonstrate public opinion over the possible moves, the two have organised the Big Picnic to help show the level of local support for keeping the green spaces as they are.

Miss Leslie, who is also the Conservative prospective MP for Bristol North West, said: "The Big Picnic is both a peaceful protest against the council's possible plans to designate this land as low value and a positive demonstration that this land is highly valued by the community.

"We will also be encouraging picnic-goers to submit individual letters to the council to explain why the land should not designated low value.

"This is all part of our campaign to prevent plans to develop this land from even reaching consultation stage."