Protesters staged a demonstration against plans to build thousands of new homes on the outskirts of Long Ashton.

Members of the Hands Off Long Ashton (Hola) action group chanted and waved placards outside the Jubilee Hall in the village, where the plans for the development of 9,000 new homes on green belt land were on display.

Baker Associates held an open evening at the hall on Monday to display the proposals by developer LandTrust to build the homes on a swathe of green belt from the slopes of Dundry near the Barrow Tanks down to the A370 Bristol to Weston-super-Mare road.

The proposed development, expected to cost £2.5 billion, would be called Ashton Park and be a town the same size as Clevedon.

Thousands of people across the Bristol area have objected to the regional spatial strategy, which identified the land at Ashton Vale as a potential area for growth, with the Government receiving more than 35,000 responses to the recent consultation document.

The document has yet to be agreed and a final decision on the blueprint is now not expected to be made until the summer.

Villagers at the protest last night said they were determined to fight the plans all the way.

David Neale, a 75-year-old retired civil servant, was among the protesters and said the development would destroy Long Ashton's landscape.

Mr Neale said: "This green belt on the Ashton levels is precious and should be protected at all costs.

"We want to retain the village feel of Long Ashton and at the moment we are besieged by developers."

His wife, Angela, a retired teacher and former North Somerset councillor, agreed.

Mrs Neale, aged 68, said: "I feel developers are just waiting for the regional spatial strategy to be agreed and the green belt removed so they can move in.

"We are a village and we have no desire to become part of Bristol.

"I have seven grandchildren, two of whom live in the village, and I want to protect the green belt for their future."

Long Ashton Parish Council chairman, Councillor Charles Cave, organised the exhibition.

Mr Cave said: "I organised the display so local people could come along and have a proper look at what is being proposed.

"No one is more against the plans than the parish council. The proposal for all these homes on the green belt is absolutely horrific.

"I am also very concerned about the extra traffic these homes could bring as the transport infrastructure is just not in place."

Protestor Debbie Lonnen, 42, is an accountant who lives in the village and works in Bristol.

Miss Lonnen said: "It is criminal that they are trying to take our green belt away."

Liz Fox moved to Long Ashton with her husband a year ago.

Mrs Fox, 60, who works in the city as a health promotion specialist, said: "We moved here because of the semi-rural location and as a result of these proposals, are now considering moving out."

Hola chairman Rod Sterland said he hoped the protest would highlight the strength of feeling against the plans to developers.

Mr Sterland said: "We will continue fighting and this protest is likely to be one of many.

"We are joining forces with the other campaign groups against these proposals to form a green alliance and hope we can get our councils, councillors and MPs to listen."

Hola, which already has more than 100 members on its mailing list, has also set up a website for people to log on to, pledge their support and get involved.

Anyone who wants to find out more about Hola should log on to the website or e-mail the action group.

Baker Associates staged an earlier exhibition at Bristol's Architecture Centre on Narrow Quay.

Commenting previously on feedback from the Bristol exhibition, executive director John Baker said there had been a lot of feedback on the plans, both "positive and negative", including on affordable housing, use of green space, transport and the level of flood risk.