Fears that green belt land could become a site for housing have been sparked by plans to fence off the area.
Residents claim that a planning application relating to a field off Icknield Way in Tring is the 'thin end of the wedge'.
Homeowners turned out to voice concerns during a Tring Town Council meeting on Monday, September 29, when the proposal was co
nsidered.
The field is the location of the annual Tring Canal Festival and is situated alongside the Grand Union Canal.
Grove Road resident Sue Yeomans, who is also a campaigner with the Chiltern Countryside Group, said: "One of the concerns is that this is the beginning of development on this site which is green belt land."
Another resident from Icknield Green said: "I think this is the thin end of the wedge.
"It will ruin the town. We really feel passionate about this."
Dacorum Borough Council has confirmed that the site has been put forward as a potential location for housing by the landowner, Land Planning Group (LPG).
The firm also advertises the site on its website as a location for possible housing in the future and is selling off plots of the land to investors.
A spokesman said: "As part of the council's work to ensure sufficient sites for the government housing targets (17,000 new homes by 2031), we have to consider potential sites as submitted by landowners and developers.
"The landowner of Waterside Way has submitted the land as a potential site for housing development and the council has to consider this along with all the others that have been suggested.
"Public consultation has already taken place to ask for comments on changing the site and designation from green belt to housing, and consultation starting in early November will be looking at the marina aspect which would change the land in the green belt to leisure use.
"All these comments will be combined and taken into account, initially when the council considers its preferred approach to the major development issues in Tring in spring 2009."
Other residents at the meeting said if a housing development went ahead it would extend the boundaries of the town, put added pressure on services like schools and doctors and could create a flood risk.
Councillor Richard Jameson said: "We know perfectly well this fence is the beginning of something.
"It is the beginning no doubt of plans to put housing on the site."
However, Councillor Barry Batchelor said: "We can't speculate on what might happen, we can only go on what is in front of us."
Councillors voted to recommend the application for refusal on the grounds that it will interfere with the site of the neighbouring Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The application was submitted by Waterside Way Sustainable Planning Ltd, which is a firm established to deal with planning applications on the site on behalf of LPG .
Both firms were unavailable to comment at the time of going to press.
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