Fears that rural Virginia Water will be transformed into a 'highly polluted, highly populated environment' are stoking a growing campaign against Government plans for a new 'garden village' in nearby Longcross.

The plan would see as many as 1,500 new homes built on green belt land within a few miles of Virginia Water.

Longcross is currently a dispersed village of spread out houses along Longcross Road mainly dominated by woodland and farmland.

A draft masterplan, proposed by the developer, envisages its transformation into a 'real community' with a new primary school, shops, cafes and restaurants.

But Nigel Moss, chairman of Wentworth Residents Association, believes that very little real thought has been given to the plan by the Government.

He said: "The impact on the local community in Virginia Water will be awful.

"There will be a decade of construction with the traffic going through Virginia Water, causing massive congestion.

"You can't box people in the new village - they will travel and that will add to the congestion.

"They are taking about 174 hectares of green belt built on. It will be London creep. We will end up with a highly polluted, highly populated environment. The whole character of this area will change."

Virginia Water feels its very infrastructure is under attack. There is still anger over the loss of the Bourne car park, sacrificed to make way for residential development.

The Residents Association says its loss has caused massive inconvenience to commuters and threatened the very existence of the retail businesses on Station Parade, by removing anywhere for customers to stop.

Runnymede Borough Council has voiced its support for the scheme at Longcross.

The anger felt in Virginia Water echoes the reaction in nearby Windsor, where residents of the rural Oakley Green area have declared war on plans to build heavily on green belt land in their midst - again at the behest of the Government.