CAMPAIGNERS battling to save green open spaces across the borough are uniting to create Basildon’s biggest-ever protest march.

Residents have been running a series of separate campaigns to stop Basildon Council selling-off green space to housing developers at Kent View Road, Vange, Northlands Park, Pitsea, Gloucester Park, Basildon, Dry Street, Basildon, Markhams Chase, Basildon, and land off Ballards Walk, Laindon.

They are all working together to organise a huge protest march on August 19.

Each group will set off from the different fields they are battling to save, then head to Basildon shopping centre where they will walk together to the council offices, in St Martin’s Square.

Karen Jacobs, 48, of Grapnells, Vange, is campaigning to save Kent View Road playing fields with Vange Community Group.

She said: “We want this to be the biggest public protest Basildon has ever seen. All the different campaigns are coming together for what we hope will be a huge event. We plan to bring along at least 200 people just from Kent View Road.

“We want to send a message to the council that we’re not giving up on this. They should find somewhere else to build their houses and leave our children’s playing fields alone.”

Neil Hart, of Kent View Road, also from Vange Community Group, added: “We held a march back in February which was well attended, but the council didn’t listen then. We’ll be shouting a lot louder this time.”

Christine Tuohy, 58, of Loxford, from the Northlands Park campaign, said: “People who make these decisions have got to be made to realise our children need these parks, not just for this generation, but future generations too.”

Basildon’s previous best attended public protest is thought to be when 500 people, who were campaigning for the travellers to be allowed to stay at Dale Farm, Basildon, marched through Gloucester Park in May 2005.

The playing fields campaigners hope to top that figure.

John Winslow, 59, of Little Lullaway, Laindon, who is campaigning to save the playing fields off Ballards Walk, added: “The whole question of developing on playing fields is on everyone’s mind at the moment, as they seem to be planning to build on every bit of green space going.”