MORE THAN 850 people have pledged their support to "Save Bicester's Communal Sports Ground" in an online petition.

The campaign was launched in response to plans by Bicester Sports Association to sell the Oxford Road site for housing and retail.

Locals raised concerns that the green space is one of only a few left in Bicester amid rapid development and fear the loss would see a drop in sporting opportunities.

Bicester Town Council has also applied for the site to become a community asset protecting it from redevelopment.

Rugby coach Robert Thurlow is trying to set up a touch rugby club but struggling to find a ground.

He said: "We are supposed to be this healthy, green town, but it all just seems to be a lot of words.

"We want to set up a touch rugby club, but we have been told pitches are closed until August so there is nowhere for us, there are not enough pitches.

"Now we can't go to the Oxford Road ground either because it is owned by the BSA which plans to move the sports to the next parish."

Bicester was designated a "garden city" by the then-Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in December 2014, who promised the town would receive £50m for parks and other public amenities to accompany 13,000 new homes.

Then in March this year, NHS England announced the Elmsbrook estate in north west Bicester would be one of 10 major developments across the country to trial new ways for healthy living, possibly including fast food-free zones and dementia-friendly designs

The BSA announced a conditional sale of the grounds to developers U+I late last year.

It said its sports would be relocated to Chesterton and the money from the sale used to develop that site.

Mr Thurlow, 46, added: "It would massively effect the youngsters, lots of children walk to training, to move to Chesterton would be a massive blow for them."

Within five days the online petition had attracted 860 supporters from as far away as Spain.

From overseas Richard Offord commented: "Bicester is being swallowed up fast by developers.

"The people of Bicester need this little bit of land kept for what is was intended for, kids and families to play sports and have fun."

In response to the petition, BSA secretary Len Payne said: "We are seeking to significantly increase the number and quality of pitches available for our clubs, as part of our continuing support for grassroots and youth sport in Bicester.

"Consolidation of the sports facilities at Chesterton, which has been our main sports site for many years and is large enough to accommodate all of the clubs, would allow significant investment and modernisation of our facilities whilst protecting and improving community sports provision for the future."

The site has been used by a number of different sports and clubs including rugby, football, cheerleading, shooting, dance and many more community groups.

The petition's creator Callum Vinall added: "Throughout my childhood, we would use the grounds everyday, playing football, rugby and cricket. I then went on to play for Bicester like several of my friends did and still do.

"Bicester is one of the fastest-growing towns in Europe and has a garden city status, yet we could be left without a sport's ground, concreted over to provide yet more retail space.

"We need to preserve this prestigious facility for now and the future to get Bicester back on the sporting map."