VILLAGERS are taking a stand over 15,000 new homes being 'dumped' on their doorsteps in Grazeley.

A petition has been set up by people living in the small village to fight back against plans to build the homes as part of the local plan.

It comes as a bid to limit the building of homes elsewhere across the borough.

The petition, created yesterday, has pulled in more than its original target of 100 signatures all within three hours of the petition going public.

Residents were detailing why they were opposed to the plans on the website, with one resident saying: "This area has taken more than its fair share of new housing.

"The infrastructure promises made do not transpire and local residents are left with roads that cannot cope, with traffic volume and local amenities that are no longer fit for purpose.

"The borough must not be allowed to dump its housing quota on one community who have already had enough."

Another resident said: "Having grown up in the area I am saddened by the amount of development occurring.

"I have lost many of the beautiful fields and country lanes I walked and cycle down.

"The impact on wildlife and the amount of animal deaths from vehicular accidents has increased no end. Why are we trying to decimate the countryside?"

The plans are part of Wokingham Borough Council's bid for £252 million of government infrastructure funding to support the garden town at Grazeley.

The development of Grazeley could see only 18 of more than 300 proposed sites chosen for further housing.

Another petitioner, commenting online, said: "I cannot see how the local infrastructure can manage a huge increase in homes and I'm desperately sad about the environmental impact on beautiful undeveloped land. My son’s school would either have to move or would change beyond all recognition.

"It is a small village school today but in five years time could be within a massive 15,000 home development."

Talking to the Reading Chronicle previously, Conservative MP John Redwood admitted: "I think the narrative is that we, as a borough, really don’t want many houses but unfortunately politicians of all colours in central government believe that we have a housing crisis and therefore are imposing on councils the duty to deliver homes. I don’t buy it. But how can we challenge that?

"If we do nothing we will lose appeals and all our development will become unplanned. That is the worst option we have got.

"The option we have selected means that 98 per cent of the borough is protected to 2055. This is a huge bonus. We only need 3,000 homes from Grazeley and the rest will come from 2036 - 2055."

For the petition, go to https://bit.ly/2RFjISu