DEVELOPERS boycotted a public meeting in Marlborough on Thursday that emphatically rejected the building of more homes on a controversial school site than the figure recommended by a local plan inspector.

The court room at the town hall was packed for the special parish meeting called by residents to discuss the homes development on St John's lower school site in Chopping Knife Lane.

The inspector who headed the inquiry into the Kennet Local Plan, the blueprint for development across the district until 2011, said in his report, since adopted by the district council, that about 150 homes would be right for the lower school site.

Crest Nicholson, the school's chosen development partner, has said that because of the council's insistence that half the homes must be social housing or shared equity, the company now wants to build substantially more homes to make the scheme profitable.

The company told the Gazette recently that up to 220 homes could be proposed, but some neighbours fear the number could be as high as 260.

The special parish meeting was called by members of the St John's Neighbourhood Residents' Association recently set up to represent the views of people living near the two school sites and of other townspeople interested in the issue.

Crest Nicholson said it was happy to be involved in consultation but wanted to avoid confrontation.

Peter Goodman who lives in Chopping Knife Lane said one reason for calling the meeting was to present a petition with more than 100 signatures against any increase over and above the 150 homes.

Mr Goodman said: "The driving force is to obtain enough money to rebuild St John's on one site. This is in direct conflict with the inspector's report that insisted on about 150 dwellings, no more and no less.

"We feel that we have a duty of care to protect this beautiful site from over development and to protect future residents being condemned to live in another cramped and inappropriate development."

Alex Hay of Barnfield said the A4 was already gridlocked on Fridays from Savernake Hospital to the town centre and he believed to have an access servicing an estate of the size proposed would be unworkable.

Water keeper John Hounslow from Mildenhall called for a full environmental assessment because of the effect any major development could have on the River Kennet.

He said: "The amount of effluent going into the Marlborough sewage works is such that it is already struggling to cope."

St John's head teacher Dr Patrick Hazlewood said it was incumbent on the St John's governors to get the best possible price for the land in Chopping Knife Lane. "When you sell land it is done for maximum gain that can be put back into the education of the children of this area."

He said St John's supported Kennet in its desire that half the development at Chopping Knife Lane should comprise affordable housing.

But, he added, the school had no say over the number of homes the developers might want to put on the site.

The meeting voted that the town council and Kennet should reject any scheme for more than 150 homes.