More than 1,000 people have objected to plans to build hundreds of homes in the countryside.

Developers want to build more than 850 houses on land close to the A27 in Durrington, Worthing.

The plans include space for shops, a first and middle school, community centre and library.

Those against the plans are angry that 210 trees will have to be cut down to widen Titnore Lane, which will become the main road in and out of the estate.

They say the scale of the development is too large, the countryside and wildlife habitat will suffer and the extra traffic will cause chaos on the already busy A27.

A planning application outlining the proposals in principle will be discussed by Worthing borough councillors on Friday.

So many people are expected, the meeting has been moved from its usual venue at the town hall in Chapel Road to the nearby Assembly Hall in Stoke Abbott Road.

The council has been sent 241 copies of a standard letter of objection, 247 copies of another standard letter, 93 individual letters simply registering a formal objection and 78 individual letters giving detailed objections.

It has also received three petitions signed by 331, 80 and 13 people respectively.

Development control committee chairman John Livermore said: "This large- scale development proposal raises a number of complex planning issues. As a result it has been decided to arrange a separate meeting to determine this major application.

"It will not be possible to make representations at the meeting but there will be the opportunity for the public to listen to the debate on this important planning application."

The council admits the development will affect plants and wildlife but says it will try to mitigate the effects by planting 500 more trees and creating aquatic and wildlife habitats for protected species like dormice and great crested newts.

It says the accident record on Titnore Lane is poor and it needs to be widened and traffic calming measures put in if it is to become a safer main access road for the development.

Opponents say the access road should come straight off the A27 instead but this has been ruled out as impractical.

The council has to build 4,375 homes between 2006 and 2016 at a rate of 290 a year to meet the Government's demands.

The application is on such a large scale it is likely to be called in by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

The report to Friday's committee recommends members agree to tell Mr Prescott they are prepared to accept the idea of the development in principle.

The meeting starts at 6pm.