A referendum to decide whether 150 acres of public land should be fenced off is under way.

A total of 6,000 voting forms have been sent out to residents in the Telscombe area about the future of the Tye.

Telscombe Town Council is asking them to vote "yes" or "no" as to whether fencing should be part of the management plan.

There needs to be a minimum 51 per cent response for the postal referendum to be valid and a 51 per cent majority must vote either way for fencing to be approved or rejected.

The forms should be returned to the council as soon as possible but next Monday is the final deadline before counting will begin.

Proposals to fence the Tye have provoked a lively debate. Some residents say it is a waste of money and the land should be left free for people to roam.

Supporters say fencing will lead to better management of the Tye, stop off-road driving and cars being torched on the Tye, restrict fly tipping and stop travellers using the land.

The council, which bought the land on behalf of residents, has put forward the idea of having wooden post-and-rail fencing. There would be other fences at certain points, including some barbed wire.

There would be at least 18 access points and the total cost to the council would be about £18,000.

The Tye is owned by the council but managed by the South Downs Conservation Board, which is urging residents to back fencing. At present the Tye is still closed as a precaution against foot-and-mouth.

Town clerk Kathleen Verrall said: "Although cattle has now been moved off the Tye, we are taking the advice of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and they are recommending we should review the situation in two weeks. It would be foolish to go against their wishes."

Arguments for and against the fencing are detailed in the current edition of the Telscombe Town Crier in which the voting forms were distributed.

Simon Culpin, of the board, said the three alternatives to fencing were bollards around the Tye, trenches or mounds, adding: "Fencing is the best option because it would enable the Tye to become an environmentally-sensitive area, which would protect the skylarks, wild flowers and butterflies found there."