PLANS for 1,300 homes may be in jeopardy following changes to advice about building next to gas sites.

The homes, to be situated next to the gasometer in Millennium Way, are part of developer Meridian Delta Limited's (MDL) £5bn plans to transform the Greenwich Peninsula.

But MDL may have to change proposals after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) made changes to the advice it gives on building next to gasometers - a large tank which stores gas.

The HSE advises councils on potential accident hazards ahead of planning permission being granted on developments.

Although the HSE cannot legally force the council not to build facilities it would be highly unusual for a council to ignore its warnings.

The HSE used to recommend no building should be constructed within a 60m radius of a gasometer but now it is recommending a 300m exclusion zone.

A planning application for the homes is yet to be submitted but current proposals would face changes.

By 2020 MDL hope to have built 10,000 homes on the 80 hectares of land as well as provision for 24,000 jobs and 150 shops and restaurants.

Ray Smith, spokesman for the Greenwich Society, said: "We would be very disturbed if re-siting the 1,300 homes comes at the expense of open space.

"It is more than 10 per cent of the proposed homes, and it is worrying they could have to moved elsewhere. We will be wanting to talk to MDL about this."

A MDL spokesman said: "The impact of this is Greenwich is required to consult with the HSE on all future planning applications for development within this consultation zone.

"At this stage, this only affects around 1,300 homes out of the total of 10,000 homes planned for the peninsula.

"This measure does not impact our immediate programme to develop 1,200 new homes currently in the design and planning stage."

He added: "MDL would also like to confirm the affected areas were not scheduled for re-development for another five to seven years into the programme.

"MDL remain optimistic the effect of the zone will be minimalised or removed altogether."

An HSE spokesman added: "As a result of data gained from incidents at gas holder sites, the HSE has recently revised the methodology used to assess the risks from such sites.

"As a result of the revised assessment, the consultation distances around gas holders within which HSE should be consulted has been extended.

"The HSE advised Greenwich prior to this happening."

A council spokesman said: "The council is aware of the issues raised by the HSE in relation to the gasworks on the peninsula and is in discussions with MDL about this.

"However, the first phase of development is in areas which are not in close proximity to the gasworks and are therefore not immediately effected by the position taken by the HSE."