Villagers in Long Ashton have issued a "hands-off" warning to property developers besieging their community.

The Hands Off Long Ashton (HOLA) campaign has been launched to protect the green belt around the village.

The group, which now has more than 100 members on its mailing list, has been launched to fight off plans being put forward as part of the region's planning blueprint for the future, which could see thousands of new homes built on green belt land around the village.

Proposals have already been put forward by developer LandTrust to build 10,000 new homes on a swathe of green belt land from the slopes of Dundry near the Barrow Tanks right down to the A370 Bristol to Weston-super-Mare road, which borders the village.

The proposed new development, expected to cost around £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 already objected to the planning blueprint, known as the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) .

It identified the land on the slopes of Dundry and Ashton Vale as a potential area for growth, with the Government receiving more than 35,000 responses to the recent consultation document.

The RSS has yet to be agreed, with a final decision due in the summer.

HOLA group spokesman Bill Roberts said: "Our village is being threatened by excessive development and loss of the green belt, driven by central government madness and developer greed.

"We already have a lot of support for the group and are working with other campaign groups that have been formed to draw up a strategy to fight off the proposals to build on the green belt."

An inaugural meeting of HOLA was held earlier this month and a further meeting is planned for next week where campaigners will be drawing their battle plan to fight off the development proposals.

A website – www.handsofflongashton.org.uk – has also been set up for people to log on to, pledge their support and get involved in the action group's fight.

Mr Roberts, a 52-year-old self-employed music teacher, who has lived in Long Ashton for eight years, said: "We do not want Long Ashton to just become another suburb of Bristol and are determined to stand up and fight to protect the green belt around the village.

"It is important that Long Ashton retains its own identity."

Mr Roberts said HOLA was not only concerned about the proposals being put forward as part of the RSS, but other potential developments threatening the village.

There are also proposals to build 500 homes on land at Failand, a further 1,400 homes on land belonging to Bristol University between the railway and the A370 and plans to build new homes and offices at the former Barrow Hospital site.

Mr Roberts said: "HOLA can actively oppose all of these developments and although we may not be able to stop all or any of them, we may contribute to delaying them and reducing their impact.

"We are also planning to lobby MPs, work with the parish council and contribute to any relevant consultation comment on planning applications."

For more information about HOLA contact Mr Roberts on 07932 623672.