TV football pundit Jimmy Hill joined a demonstration against plans for a major new Sussex housing development.
Protesters at Upper Beeding, near Steyning, said the village would be prone to flooding if the River Adur burst its banks because of house building.
Mr Hill, who lives in the area, said development could be catastrophic for many communities in Mid Sussex.
He said: "The points I make are there are two sorts of people who benefit, the developers and those who sell the land.
"Whether that is in everybody's interest is another matter."
Some 3,500 homes could be built west of Burgess Hill, which protesters claim could affect places such as Ashurst, Bramber, Cowfold, Henfield, Partridge Green, Small Dole, Steyning, Twineham, Upper Beeding, Wineham and Woodmancote.
Critics say the plans, which would also include business development, would be unsustainable and go against Government guidelines on greenfield building.
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