CAMPAIGNERS fighting to protect Twickenham's Crane Valley were victorious this week when a government inspector rejected Richmond upon Thames Council's plans to develop green sites.

Richmond council had hoped to build houses on the Mereway Allotments and the rifle club by removing the protective Metropolitan Open Land status in their planning blueprint, the Unitary Development Plan.

But the government inspector who considered their proposals for the entire borough at a public inquiry held last year, rejected the moves.

Campaign group the Friends of the River Crane Environment (FORCE), which formed to save the sites, were thrilled and say they will continue to work to improve the whole area.

David Trigg, executive member of the group, said: "FORCE very much welcomes the outcome of the inspector's report into the Metropolitan Open Land in the Crane Valley which largely reflects the views of a great number of local residents. We now look forward to working with the council and other stakeholders to enhance the environmental, ecological and educational benefits of that land to the local and wider communities."

But the council were disappointed by the decision, describing it as a major opportunity which had been lost', saying there is now no funding to carry out environmental improvements to the area.

Twickenham MP Vincent Cable was pleased by the decision. He said: "It is a great victory for residents and environmental campaigners who have fought the council's cavalier approach to Metropolitan Open Land. I trust that the council will accept the findings of the inspector with good grace and extricate itself from its own embarrassment by working with the local community to turn green areas such as the disused Mereway allotments into an environmental resource; maintaining the North Lane car park as a car park to support the local shopping centre and improving community resources like Heathfield recreational ground now that it is no longer under threat from building."

Lib Dem Cllr Martin Elengorn said: "Local residents proved to have a sounder grasp of planning issues than the Tory council who seemed more interested in a quick buck than good land use.

Anyone with any understanding of the value of green links in our urban landscape would have seen that there was no chance of a UDP inspector agreeing to their loss but the Tories were deaf and blind."

The council were successful in some of their proposals. The inspector agreed that the protective status could be lifted from the Craneford Way council depot and on land near the Harlequins ground, which could open both sites up for housing.

In Richmond, the inspector rejected plans to remove the Gothic House site's protected status, describing it as a pocket park' which also pleased campaigners.

The council had argued that the site was under-used but Francis Wright, who was part of the campaign led by Ariadne van de Ven said: "We are delighted. We will now be protecting it further by registering it as a town green to prevent the council from ever trying something like this again."

The inspector gave the go-ahead for development on the Terrace yard, the Friars Lane car park and Barnes goods yard.

He has also agreed that the council can allow certain schools to expand on their sites, by removing protected status at Teddington, Grey Court, Collis and Waldegrave Schools.

Cllr David Marlow, cabinet member for environment and planning, said that the report had provided mixed blessings' for the council. "There is much in this report that is good news for our borough and its residents. I particularly welcome the inspector's support of our proposals to identify land for redevelopment and expansion of our schools and colleges.

"The report has also supported our change in emphasis of transport policies and in particular our policies towards improving traffic flow at congestion points and in the provision of choice of means of transport."