The long-awaited development at Bedfont Pits, hailed as a 'lifeline' by despairing residents, will be delayed by at least a year after the government called it in for an inquiry.

Communities surrounding the neglected scrubland had rallied together in unanimous support of the project which would also have brought £3million of benefits to Bedfont.

The scheme was approved by Hounslow last summer and work was due to start in a matter of weeks but must now wait six-12 months for the approval of Communities and Local Government secretary Hazel Blears.

The redevelopment would finally have offered some peace to long-suffering residents who have been plagued by noise from illegal motorbike scrambling for two decades.

John Dombrick, of Southern Avenue Residents' Association, said: "The situation with the bikes is a nightmare for everyone around here. This development offered a real lifeline and to see it slipping away is just awful."

Chrisfys, the developers behind the scheme, want to remodel the existing haphazard Bedfont Trading Estate, which had sprung up gradually.

In exchange for planning permission they have agreed to tackle the entire surrounding area, including the Pits, and to plough £3million into local projects, roads and schools.

But because the site is officially designated as green belt land the developers must prove 'very special circumstances' in order to build there.

William Woodward-Fisher said: "This is terrible news which came completely out of the blue and puts the whole project in jeopardy.

"It'll take months to get an inquiry date and if the property market continues to fall we may have to reconsider the whole thing. It would be a terrible shame for everyone."

Councillor Peter Hills told a West Area meeting last week: "I think this is an absolute travesty. Once again it's the communities around this site that will suffer. Every resident I've ever spoken to backs this development 100 per cent."