Neighbours are stepping up their fight to stop hundreds of homes being built on Braddan greenbelt.

And they have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £4,000 needed for a soil survey which they hope will show it should not be rezoned from agricultural land.

Site DBH002 and neighbouring BH030, known as the Drinkwater land, is the largest agricultural area designated for residential development in the draft area plan for the east.

Thirty hectares of grazing land off Braddan Road to the north east of the Jubilee Oak junction are earmarked for at least 300 new homes.

Now an advocate representing 326 residents has written to new Policy and Reform Minister Ray Harmer calling for a meeting with him on site BH030, next to Braddan cemetery, from where the larger site DBH002 can be viewed.

A 300-plus name petition was collected in less than a week last year by campaigners opposing the rezoning of the land.

In a submission to the area plan inquiry, campaigners highlighted concerns over access and significant increases in peak-hour traffic.

They say projected population growth figures are flawed and government should tackle the issue of vacant properties before building hundreds of new homes.

But they are now looking to get a soil survey carried out.

An environment policy in the strategic plan states that land should not be built on class 2 or 2/3 valuable agricultural land.

Advocate Marina Warwick has launched a Justgiving page to raise £4,000 needed to fund the survey. She said: ’The group calls on all the residents and objectors, all those who are interested in preserving Isle of Man countryside, open spaces and green gaps between built-up areas and quality of life in the locality, to contribute to the cost of the test.

’No matter how small or large, all contributions will be welcome.

You can find the crowdfunding page at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/soiltest