Deborah Meaden in battle over field

Deborah Meaden (pictured), one of the judges on the BBC's hit business television show Dragons' Den, may come across as an icy-eyed toughie but this is often tempered by her avowal of an ethical and environmental agenda when making her investment decisions. However, her principles are being brought into question by green groups in Brixham, Devon, who are furious over her plans to sell Wishings Field, a village beauty spot, to a company that wants to develop it into a 200-property estate.

Opposition to the scheme appears to be in its early stages: a group of villagers have put a petition together, along with a nearby secondary school, which they have taken to Meaden’s sister, who lives in the area. The Independent reports an unnamed spokesman for the protestors saying: "There’s already another group willing to convert it to a village green; why would she want to do this? It’s one of the few places left in the area where kids can go and play football. Families have been going there for over 60 years."

The company who own the land, Mudstone LLP, of which both Meaden and her stepfather are listed members, have yet to comment on the green issues around the proposed development. However, a spokesman for the developers has claimed that while they could take into account "queries on highways and traffic" they were unable to discuss any "green issues". It would be at this point, at least in her Dragons’ Den persona, that Meaden would normally say: "…and for that reason, I’m out."