Richmond's council leader has written to the Ministry of Defence demanding a review of its plan to sell Kneller Hall in Whitton .

The Grade II-listed building near Twickenham Stadium, which is home to the Royal Military School of Music, is one of 12 MoD sites across the country due to be sold for housing . The ministry hopes to raise £500m from the disposal of its land.

The move has been met with cross-party opposition from local councillors and from Twickenham MP Tania Mathias , with two petitions launched to prevent the sale.

Richmond Council supremo Lord Nicholas True gave an impassioned speech at last Wednesday's full council meeting against the sale.

He has now written to the MoD to express his "dismay" at the proposed sale and call for a review of the decision.

"Council will seek to resist in any way possible"

He also warned developers wishing to build upon the land that they would "not have an easy passage".

"It comes as quite a shock, as almost exactly one year to the day, the MoD claimed it had no plans to dispose of our beloved Kneller Hall," said Lord True.

Richmond Council leader Nicholas True
Richmond Council leader Nicholas True

"A freeman of the borough and home to the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall is an institution with whom we have the most close and cordial relations.

"This is Whitton's royal connection and much valued by local people. It surely makes no sense to concentrate military music hours away from London where most ceremonies take place. This is a decision which the people of Twickenham and Richmond-upon-Thames Council will seek to resist in any way possible.

"Any developer... will have a number of serious problems"

"It will not be easy. But I can assure you that any developer who is thinking of taking an interest in this site will have a number of serious problems.

"To begin with, much of this is Metropolitan open land, or scheduled for employment and educational use.

"It is also parkland in which the council places a high value on the trees – which we have sought to place under protection orders.

"Any developer who is tempted by the MoD's announcement will be made aware that they do not have an easy passage.

The entrance to Kneller Hall in Whitton

"This is a new proposal. There has been no public consultation on the sale of the site. The borough stands united in its condemnation of these plans.

"Rationalisation is often necessary and excess public land should be sold. But the listed Kneller Hall is an important piece of not just local, but national cultural and military heritage.

"It should not be tossed away to please junior accounting clerks in the Treasury with no understanding of the place of military music in London's life and our nation's military history."