WORRIED mother Denise Edwards shed tears as she described the effect proposals to tear down a local wood to make way for houses would have if given the go-ahead.

Ms Edwards, 25, of Tamar House, Hicks Farm Rise, joined a panel and more than 100 residents who packed into St Andrew's Church Hall, Hatters Lane, High Wycombe, on Wednesday for the first meeting of Save Hicks Farm Rise Wood Action Group, organised after residents noticed surveyors marking out trees in the wood.

Furious residents slammed Wycombe District Council for not giving them their say before doing a feasibility study into whether the land could be used to build houses.

And now locals have pledged to work together and turn Hicks Farm Rise Wood into a nature reserve.

Cllr Julia Wassell (Lab, Keep Hill and Hicks Farm Rise) joined group co-founders Denise Edwards, Ernie Shankster, Frances Preland and chairman of Wycombe Wildlife Group Angus Idle in a bid to step up their campaign.

Ms Preland, of Hicks Farm Rise, told the audience that possible plans to tear down their wood contravened the local plan's pledge to provide all areas with adequate recreation sites.

Mr Idle said the wood, which is home to many plants and animals, was "a resource to be proud of" and with the right management, could be turned into a decent nature reserve.

Cllr Peter Cartwright, portfolio holder for housing at Wycombe District Council, who was unable to attend the meeting, refuted criticisms that residents had not been consulted.

"We are looking at all of our landholdings as it is our statutory obligation to provide housing for those in need and in the local plan the wood is designated for housing.

"Until the study is done we can't tell if the land will be suitable for development. If so then we will have consultations with the various groups. There are no plans yet."