An eight year campaign by residents has ended in victory as plans for a new community centre are to go ahead after a covenant has been removed.

The centre will be developed on the Grange Site in Pine Place, Hayes, where the last community centre was demolished in 2001 after falling into a state of disrepair.

Since then the land has been left derelict because the covenant restricted a new development.

The covenant stated the premises could not be used for anything other than a Labour hall and the ambiguous definition led to an ongoing battle between residents and the council. However the plans were approved at a recent meeting of Hillingdon Council.

Councillor Peter Curling, who represents Charville ward and has supported campaigns to get a new centre, said: "There was some confusion over what a Labour hall actually means, because at the time the covenant was made I understood it was a place where labourers would meet after work. But the council understood it to mean a building which could only be used by the Labour Party.

"This is a great result for the residents of the area because it's something they have been campaigning for for years. And it's bringing back a community facility which was taken away."

Rita Kiss, chairman of the Grange Residents Association, said: "We've fought hard to get another community centre and we're delighted we'll have one."