MORE than 4,000 people from across the world signed a petition to stop building on the historic landscape previously lived on by C.S. Lewis.

Protesters marched from Queen Street to Oxford City Council offices in St Aldates to hand in their official complaint.

Organiser Cara Langford said: “This is just the start of the journey really, we’ll be continuing to publicise this and keep going with the fight.”

She and her supporters hope to have the entirety of the site marked as a conservation area to stop the apartments being built, and keep the land open to children and families in the future.

The Wychwood Foundation submitted plans for the nine apartments with 22 car parking spaces to be built on the land off Wychwood Lane last month.

Members of the city council are expected to decide on the application early next ear.

Ms Langford said they had been supported by people from all over the world who want to see the site protected. She added: “It’s still a special place for people.”