UPSET residents are furious that green fields near to their homes in Malvern have been turned into an “ugly” eyesore.

People are angry that Hayslan Fields off Hayslan Road have been deep ploughed, turning an open space known for its colourful wild flowers into a muddy mess in the “worst possible state”.

A bid to build 150-homes on the land – which is owned by Malvern St James Girls’ School – was unanimously rejected by Malvern Hills District Council in February.

But the school’s developer Barwood Strategic Land is appealing that decision and has defended its right to plough the field.

Jeff Williams, chairman of Pickersleigh Residents' Group, has claimed however that the recent work on the open space has left “an awful lot of people feeling upset”.

He said: “It is appalling – they have left it in the worst possible state.

“The field has been deeply ploughed with uneven furrows and it looks ugly.

“Why they have done that I couldn’t possibly comment.

“We have received a lot of complaints about it but, when we asked for advice from the council, they said there is nothing they can do about it.

“The fields are a natural haven for wildlife and plants and we are used to seeing a lot of colour – but this has now disappeared.”

Resident Christine Hunaban added: “All of the wild flowers have gone and with them all of the butterflies too – what a selfish, thoughtless act.”

Councillor Val Myatt, of Malvern Hills District Council, said: “Councillors have fought hard to preserve the green space, which is a defining feature in the Malvern urban area.

“The owners of the field have just recently ploughed the field to deny Malvern people from using it.

“But the fight will go on to save the open space.”

Footpaths through the field however have been unaffected by the ploughing and some residents are still using the area.

“The fields are a well-used public amenity and people are still visiting the fields”, added Mr Williams.

“They have ploughed it up but it has not put people off.”

A spokesman for Malvern St James Girls' School said the school no longer uses Hayslan Fields and instead intends to use proceeds from the sale of the land to fund a bursary programme.

He added that Barwood had been carefully selected to represent the school because of its “reputation as a responsible and community-minded developer”.

Barwood Strategic Land did not respond to a request for details on why the fields had been ploughed.

A spokesman for Malvern Hills District Council confirmed it had received notification of an appeal against the authority’s decision to reject the 150-homes planning bid.

No date has yet been set for the informal appeal hearing, during which an inspector will determine the fate of the land.