An MP opposing plans to build homes in his constituency is chairman of a trust which invests in one of the developers.

Nicholas Soames, MP for Mid Sussex, has criticised Government proposals for new homes, arguing they could signal the end of thousands of acres of green space.

On his web site, Mr Soames lists one of his pledges as: "To protect our green fields from further over-development. I fought tooth and nail against the Government's plans to impose over 46,000 new homes on West Sussex up until 2016.

"I will continue to work with the main authorities to ensure that the housing development imposed on Mid Sussex is as sustainable as Government targets allow."

Mr Soames is paid to be chairman of the Framlington Second Dual Trust which has shares in developer Crest Nicholson. The property company has applied to build 90 homes at Folders Farm in Burgess Hill, a development which Mr Soames has opposed.

Roger Whaley, chairman of the Folders Lane Action Group, has been campaigning for four years to block development of the site.

He said the group had questioned Mr Soames about his role in the trust.

He said: "Mr Soames has generally been on our side to stop the homes being built. We believe the development is unsustainable and the infrastructure won't cope."

Town councillor Andrew Landriani is also opposed to the Folders Farm development.

He said: "Nicholas Soames has made it clear to me he is with us on the issue.

"He understands the weight of public opinion is against it."

Mr Soames confirmed he was paid to be chairman of the trust and that it had shares in Crest Nicholson but he said the role did not contradict his political stance.

He said: "If they do own shares they own just a few thousand. There is absolutely no conflict of interest."

He said he made no decisions regarding investments.

He said: "The role of the chairman and trustees is to support the corporate governance of the trust.

"We have no role whatsoever regarding picking the stock."

Mr Soames' personal opinions would not be allowed to obstruct investment in a property company if there was a good profit to be made from the investment.

As chairman, he is responsible for leading the board and for ensuring it successfully discharges its overall responsibility for the company.

The chairman of any trust has a fiduciary duty to get the best returns for the trust's beneficiaries so his personal opinions can not stand in the way of investments expected to bring a good return.

Crest Nicholson is also putting the finishing touches to a fiercely-opposed 800-home development, Bolnore Village, at Haywards Heath.

And it has completed a development in Queen's Road, Haywards Heath.

l Mr Soames, Peter Ainsworth, MP for Surrey East, and Charles Hendry, MP for Wealden, issued a statement last week opposing plans to build 2,500 homes in East Grinstead.

The scheme is contained in the Government's Structure Plan for the area.

The statement said: "We believe that the environmental consequences of the proposed development at East Grinstead could be disastrous.

"While we acknowledge the need for affordable housing in the region, we are anxious about the consequences of a development on this proposed scale for the infrastructure, for transport, roads, electricity and the region's water resources which are already inadequate.