THE Marlow Gravel Pits are set to be turned into a leafy country park with no housing or businesses although a football stadium is still a possibility.

People in and around Marlow have supported Wycombe District Council's plans to keep the 800-acre site free from major development.

Jerry Unsworth, district council planning policy chief, said: "We have the right broad policy. People are comfortable with our way and happy with this area staying as green belt."

The news will be a blow to landowners who would like to build up to 200 homes, a business park and a football stadium on the green belt site.

But with the public's support, Wycombe council's cabinet will adopt its plans as a guide for developers seeking to build on the site.

The country park idea does not involve putting a fence round the area, charging people to come in through theme park-style gates and giving them access to every blade of grass.

Suggestions for the site include holiday homes, a farm activity centre, a caravan and camping site, picnic areas and water sports. The council will also look for funds, like Lottery cash, to pay for nature conservation.

"We are not taking a puritanical view in that nothing can happen," said Mr Unsworth.

He added: "It is creative. People want it to provide a better landscape environment."

The western part of the site, near to Little Marlow, will be the quieter end given over to nature conservation, with facilities for visitors more likely nearer the A404 Marlow bypass.

Paul Rogerson, district council cabinet member for planning, said that permission may be given for work not normally allowed in the green belt because it could improve the site. But he warned: "We can't say how much. It has to be worked out."

One of the big question marks is still a new ground for Marlow Football Club. Developers have suggested the Gravel Pits area as suitable, leaving the present ground in Oak Tree Road ripe for housing development.

North West Estates which owns 300 acres next to the Marlow bypass wanted to see provision for the football club and low-costs homes, saying that Marlow people could not afford to live in the area and that local businesses and schools were suffering because they were not able to recruit new staff.

But Cllr Rogerson said people had made their feelings clear in their responses.

He said suggestions to move the football club had to be looked at carefully.

He added: "This is not just a ground, it is a stadium with car parking and floodlighting."

There might also need to be a function centre to bring in some money.

The council would need to see specific proposals but so far said it had nothing.

Mr Unsworth added that developing the club's existing site also raised policy issues, because it was not designated for homes.

He said drawing up the policy had been necessary so that developers who were challenging knew where they stood.

"We expect to be opposed, but we like to think this framework is robust and flexible," he said.

Wycombe District Council's proposal that the green belt land east of the Marlow bypass should be a country park went out for public consultation in October.