An MP insisted the fight is not over after Harrow Council turned down an application to make sought-after land a village green.

The authority had been trying to sell Whitchurch Playing Fields in Wemborough Road, Stanmore, to preferred bidder Whitchurch Consortium who want to install a private state-of-the-art sports complex there.

Campaigner and neighbour of the land Melanie Lewis tried to derail the bid by lodging an application to make the land a village green earlier this year, however Harrow Council's licensing panel rejected the proposal unanimously on Tuesday last week.

Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East, said: "Making the fields into a town or village green would have solved the ongoing dilemma of what to do with the fields, while protecting the interest of local residents and the wider community."

The council are now in talks with the Educational Funding Agency to explore other options before moving to put the land out to tender, but would require permission from the Minister of State for Schools David Laws as the land is registered as educational land if they were to continue to pursue a sale to a private developer.

Mr Blackman added: "I am confident that Mr Laws will deploy his considerable judgement and wisdom in ensuring that the fields remain for the use of the school and the community, and not to be exploited by a consortium with no link to the area and even less interest in the concerns of hard working residents”