Angry campaigners say their town cannot cope with hundreds of homes which have been earmarked for construction next spring.

The Government has told Lewes District Council 4,600 extra homes need to be built within its area by 2011 and Peacehaven must have its share.

This could include 300 homes in North Peacehaven, which would see the development of land either side of Valley Road, the subject of numerous inquiries and court cases.

Elsewhere within Lewes District Council's coastal strip, Newhaven has been told it must have 450 homes and Seaford 145 in the first phase up to 2006.

But residents, who have formed themselves into Proud, Peacehaven Opposed to Urban Development, and councillors say it is too much too soon and the town's infrastructure cannot cope.

Now they are stepping up calls for action after seeing detailed plans for the first major development, an estate of 296 homes, which could be built next spring.

There is unlikely to be a public inquiry as the proposal has already been sanctioned after two inquiries into the local plan, which means councillors can only object to the details.

The proposals for the development of land between Keymer Avenue and Cornwall Avenue in East Peacehaven have now been lodged with Lewes District Council.

The homes are a combination of flats, detached and semi-detached houses on land surrounding Peacehaven Football Club. They are all either two or three-storey properties.

The developer is Bovis Homes along with Brickfast Ltd and Farrington Properties Ltd.

Brighton Kemp Town MP Des Turner has met residents to discuss their fears and Peacehaven Town Council will look at the plans at a meeting tomorrow, starting at 7.30pm.

Members of the public will also have their say.

John Livings, leader of Peacehaven Town Council and East Sussex County Councillor for Peacehaven, said: "It is almost inevitable this will go ahead as it has been discussed widely in the structure plan.

"But we are insisting on fighting our corner to get better infrastructure, such as improvements in transport links, notably improvements to the A259 South Coast Road, which will have to take even more traffic.

"There are concerns about how schools and the water and sewage system will cope."

Environmental campaigner John Hodgson, of Capel Avenue, said: "It is like boxing when it comes to development in Peacehaven. We get punched and punched again and when we think we have won one fight we get knocked out with a savage blow. This town just cannot cope with the scale of development proposed.

"There will have to be drastic improvements to the infrastructure, involving water, transport, medical, schools and shops."

Briony Robins, 26, of Piddinghoe Avenue, Peacehaven, added: "Everybody is very worried about the strain these new homes will put on Peacehaven. It will put a lot of pressure on local schools."

It is likely the plans will be discussed by Lewes District Council in January or February.