MORE than 600 people against the building of up to 400 homes on Allestree's outskirts have objected to proposals to officially earmark the land for housing.
Developer Catesby Estates says it has plans for a "high-quality development which will help meet Derby's needs in a sustainable way", off Kedleston Road.
Amber Valley Borough Council, responsible for the fields, is proposing the site is among those earmarked for homes in its strategy for housing until 2028.
No final decision has been made but Catesby would have a better chance of getting planning permission for the site if it was included.
Protest group Kedleston Voice is against the site's inclusion, along with 630 objections it has handed to the council. The group has about 800 members and support from Mid Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham. It believes building on the land will cause flooding and traffic problems and that it is more useful as farmland.
David Anderson, Kedleston Voice chairman, said he did not believe the council had been "transparent" enough over including the site in its strategy. He said: "It hasn't consulted properly. Historically the site wasn't ever going to be developed because Derby City Council and Amber Valley Borough Council had a protection zone around Kedleston Hall. It was not until very recently that they included the site in the strategy. There was an exhibition about it and, after that, people had six weeks to respond but the [council's] website was down more than it was up.
"It was also when a lot of people were on holiday. We asked for a six-week extension on that period but that was denied."
The group has created large yellow signs calling for people to object. There are 20 outside homes in Allestree, Quarndon and Weston Underwood. Mr Anderson, 58, of Askerfield Avenue, said: "We recognise the need for housing. But there's a lot of brownfield sites in and around Amber Valley and Derby.
"Why not build there instead of on fields needed for food production?"
Derek Stafford, the council's assistant director for planning and regeneration, said the six-week consultation on the change to the strategy was "in line with the regulations to which the council has to work".
He said a decision will be made on what sites to include in the strategy at a council meeting on October 15 and that the 630 objections will be "carefully considered".
He said that the amount a planning application would benefit from being in the core strategy would depend on the stage of completion it had reached.
A Catesby spokeswoman said including the site in the strategy was "fully justified". She said: "We are analysing studies and technical assessments as well as considering feedback received during our consultation with the community, and hope to submit a planning application in the near future."
