Fuming residents vowed to mobilise an army of opposition when more than 50 people packed out Grange United Reform Church, in Southcote Lane, for a protest gathering.

Campaigners fighting the plans fear Reading-based property experts Campbell Gordon - which has submitted the proposals for this year’s Wolfson Economic Prize - hope to bypass the town’s planning laws by drawing up an act of parliament if they win the coveted crown.

The Chronicle exclusively revealed Campbell Gordon’s visionary plans last month and the details can be found here - www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/roundup/articles/2014/03/28/98941-bold-ideas-for-south-reading-minitown

The meeting was called by Labour councillors John Ennis and Debbie Edwards and the party’s parliamentary candidate for Reading West, Victoria Groulef, who argue any development of Kennet Meadows would spark widespread flooding in Southcote and Reading town centre.

Cllr Ennis said: “Shortly after we’ve seen the results of Circuit Lane being flooded, we’ve got an application to build on the flood plain. It would be more than just an urban sprawl. We’re taking this seriously and we’re not lying down - so tonight is the launch of our campaign to stop this development happening.”

Mrs Groulef added: “I will fight tooth and nail to stop this - people are still living in their caravans with their families six weeks after the Circuit Lane flooding.”

One of the main criteria for winning the Wolfson Prize is demonstrating public support, and the campaigners are urging people to sign a petition opposing the plans which they will hand to the prize’s seven judges next month.

Circuit Lane flood victim Harry Cross raised fears the developers may try to bypass planning laws, while Pat Lovegrove descibed the plans as “downright dangerous” and fellow Southcote resident Jill Beadon added: “If they drain these meadows to build on where is all the water going to go? It’s going to go down to the Oracle or it’s going to come over to us and that’s my worry.”

Cllr Edwards added: “I’m absolutely furious. We’re tight with our schools and GP surgeries and services as it is and they want to just park 100,000 people across the road with no infrastructure which we would have to pay for. They don’t care about us people.”

But Ian Campbell, senior partner at Campbell Gordon and author of the proposal, said: “The submission is an idea to promote debate. We are not property developers and the New Reading Extension (NRE) proposal would not involve building any homes in the floodplain identified by the EA.

Flood risks in Reading would remain unchanged by the proposal and the NRE does not include building homes in the vicinity of Southcote, Coley, or Calcot.”