Campaigners have launched a fight to save Braddan greenbelt.

The biggest proposed housing site in the draft Area Plan for the East is 30 hectares of grazing land off Braddan Road to the north east of the Jubilee Oak junction.

Here between 200-300 homes could be built under plans drawn up by Hartford Homes.

But residents on neighbouring Ballafletcher Road, Quarterbridge Road and the Tromode Woods estate have joined forces to fight the plans before the deadline closes on the consultation on August 31.

They argue the site simply isn’t suitable in terms of infrastructure and the impact on already-congested roads and access to schools and the hospital.

The campaigners say there is no need for the development as there are plenty of vacant brownfield sites in Douglas.

And they say projections for future housing demand are flawed as the last census showed the population is actually falling.

Nicola Evans, whose home on Hollin Bank currently looks out over the fields identified for the new housing estate, said: ’The hospital was built out of town for easy access for ambulance and staff.

’Sticking 300 houses on the main road to it - leading to at least extra 600 cars - will mean it is no longer out of town and easy to access.’

She said many will not realise the site even exists, as it is well hidden from view behind a stone wall at the Jubilee Oak junction.

’People don’t realise it will impact on them but when it goes through it will be too late for them,’ she added.

Dee Notman has lived off Ballafletcher Road for 30 years and said it is now ’like a motorway’ - and not just during the TT.

She said: ’Cars are backed up from the hospital. It’s dangerous to cross the road during peak times.’

Brian Draper, of the Tromode Woods estate, said: ’No one speaks up for the fields and the wildlife. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.’

The campaigners say the same site, identified as DBH002 in the latest draft Area Plan, was rejected in 2003 on the grounds that the loss of open countryside would mean the merging into one of Douglas and Braddan.

In a letter to the planning office, one of the campaigners wrote: ’The site is unsuitable for the area, infrastructure costs to government would be considerable and the existing road layouts are insufficient for existing traffic.

’Quite simply, the site should never have been included in the initial call for sites.

’The need for additional primary school places has been totally ignored in the same way as the proposed encroachment into the countryside has been disregarded.

’The coalescence of Braddan with Douglas should be a major factor and must not be ignored.’

They added: ’We have yet to find one resident in favour of the development which speaks volumes for the strength of feeling against any residential development on site DBH002.’

Judy Bruce, of Hollin Lane, attended a meeting at Keyll Darree about the Area Plan. ’People were asking questions but could not get any answers. It’s a very fluid kind of plan.’

Three entrances are proposed onto the new estate, one on Braddan Road, a second by the access to Douglas Rugby Club and a possible third one off Tromode Woods. All, say the campaigners, are unsuitable, given the traffic congestion in the area.

Their letter to planners concludes: ’This should not be regarded as "nimbyism".

’It is sent by residents who know the area better than anyone, who strongly believe what is being suggested is totally wrong.’