FAMILIES at Widmer End are being asked to put their hands in their pockets so that a local action group can take on a barrister for a public inquiry.

Grange Action Group (GAG) wants to get three fields in the village designated as a village green and the decision rests on the verdict of the public inquiry inspector.

The campaign needs about £5,000 for the two-day hearing and villagers are being asked if they are willing to pledge £33 each.

The money will not guarantee success, says GAG, but without an experienced barrister the fight will almost certainly fail.

"What is it worth to keep Widmer fields free from development for ever?" say GAG.

The group is taking on developers Laing, which has owned the fields at Widmer Farm since 1963, and wants to build there.

The land is in the Chilterns AONB and not marked down for building in the draft Wycombe plan, which outlines where development should take place in the years until 2011. After that it will be open season for almost 400 acres of land in the area, known as the Grange.

Buckinghamshire County Council was asked to make the decision about designating the fields as a village green but decided it would be better to go to the inquiry. The council's costs will be about £12,000.