DISUSED allotments in Littlemore must be saved from housing development, campaigners have said.

They claim Oxford City Council’s proposal for homes on East Minchery Farm would rob residents of vital green space.

The site – close to Falcon Close in Blackbird Leys – was included as an option for houses in a council consultation on where development should be allowed until 2026.

Lex Francis, a youth and community development worker with the Shout housing estate project, believed it could be used as a sports area for children. Youngsters from Falcon Close were reluctant to cross a railway line to get to the land, she said, but a level crossing could be put in.

She said: “When children have a kickabout in the street it upsets residents and there are complaints. The kids have nowhere to play and nobody has provided an alternative.”

She gave Green Lord Mayor Elise Benjamin a tour of site this month with architect Mojdeh Moasser, of Cowley’s Sustainable Architecture Studio.

They would like to see it re-used as allotments and Miss Moasser said: “The land hasn’t been used for allotments for a number of years.

“There is such a lack of green space as it is and that leads to antisocial behaviour.

“Also, there is a huge problem with nutrition and obesity and a number of people have mental health problems. The land could be used as a therapeutic space.”

Residents are forming an allotment association to offer to take on the land from the council, she said.

The council plan says previous public consultation backed allotments and its own study found Littlemore had a “shortage of public open space”.

But it said there is no immediate plan to bring the allotments back into use and the site is likely to remain vacant.

The preferred option is for a housing development with a “greater proportion of public open space than would normally be required”, which could be used as allotments or a community garden.

Colin Cook, executive board member for city development at the Labour-run council, said: “As the Green Belt is particularly constrained, we are now having to look more and more to green field sites for housing.”

He said there were plenty of allotments in the city, adding: “If there was the demand, why have they fallen into disuse?”

He added: “Property prices are twice the price of somewhere like Swindon but people are on the same pay.

“There is a desperate shortage of housing.”

The council has not said how long its waiting list for allotments is.

The consultation on potential housing sites closed on July 22. The final sites allocation document, set to be published this autumn, will determine where the council will allow development.