CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop a hockey pitch being built on Pinn Meadows have devised a new tactic.

They say they will start a petition to designate Pinn Meadows a village green.

The popular green space has long been a battlefield between community group the Friends of Pinn Meadows (FPM) and Eastcote Hockey Club, which wants to build a second all-weather pitch on the fields.

The club, whose pitch and clubhouse are on the meadows – also known as King’s College Playing Fields – has only ever submitted one planning application for the floodlit pitch, which was withdrawn before it went to the planning committee.

A second one was scrapped after planning officers made it clear it would fail.

Rob Riddleston, chairman of Eastcote Hockey Club, said: “Our initial plan has changed because when it was first introduced we had some issues, but it is still our plan to re-submit once we have resolved those issues. We hope to do that in the very near future.

“A second pitch will increase the sporting use of the playing fields which will allow use by teams during the days throughout the week, as oppose to now when they are using it just at the weekends.

“You can’t play on the grass playing fields more than twice in a weekend because the pitch would get ruined, so having an all-weather pitch will allow much more use.

“We have 10 mens’ teams and four ladies’ teams and we have also got around 200 juniors that play at the club on Sundays who would benefit hugely from a new pitch.”

But the Friends, a group of neighbours which came together following the first application by the hockey club, says when the club submits its revised plan it will start a petition requesting that the council voluntarily designate the meadows a village green.

FPM chairman, Rob Cousins, said: “What we’re basically going to do involves the future of the meadows and will mean they are protected from any future developments likely to affect the green space.

“Village green status is the highest level of protection that land can have.

“So as soon as the hockey club put in their plans to build the floodlit pitch, we will get the ball rolling.”

Campaigners in Harefield battling to save the Mediparc have employed a similar tactic.

Last November, FPM got 4,464 signatures on its petition against the second pitch, which it believes is the biggest submitted to the council against a planning application.

Mr Cousins thinks FPM will have no problem doing the same again this time.