Proposals for 5,500 homes around Caddington and Slip End met with a resounding 'no' from villagers at a rally on Saturday.

Mums, dads, children and even dogs joined in the demonstration against the Bushwood Green scheme, which would see homes and sports and business facilities built on a large area of Green Belt.

A huge crowd gathered outside Slip End Village Hall at 10am for the rally, organised by campaign group CaSE4, and marched to Caddington, culminating in a demonstration on the village green.

Protestors waved placards and Councillor Richard Stay, deputy leader of Central Beds Council, and CaSE4 committee member Jane Payton delivered speeches outlining their objections to the scheme.

Cllr Stay said: "We have to keep this up - we don't know where this proposal is going and if we don't do something to fight it we'll have to live with what happens. Caddington, Slip End, Woodside, Aley Green and Pepperstock would become suburbs of Luton.

"It doesn't have the support of Luton Borough Council, Central Beds Council or the government. We accept that Luton needs more homes but this is an opportunistic plan to concrete over the countryside.

"All the bells and whistles such as the sports facilities aren't affordable if you're only building 5,500 houses."

Jane Payton, 63, of Ledwell Road, has lived in Caddington for more than 30 years, and said she was "appalled" by the plans.

"I don't think the plans are viable," she said. "We already get a lot of traffic and the down to the Skimpot junction gets blocked every day at rush hour, and this would make it ten times worse.

"Today was all about making people aware that this could happen. We're delighted with the turn out, it's as good as we hoped and much better."
For more information on the campaign visit www.case4.org.uk