A GROUP of neighbours are celebrating another victory over 'garden grabbing'.

People who live in Kingsend heard this week that a planning inspector had upheld Hillingdon Council's refusal of a new bungalow in the garden of an existing property.

The road, which lies between Ruislip and West Ruislip stations, is a sought-after location, and residents fear it is in danger of losing its suburban identity.

It has been at the epicentre of a battle against developers trying to squeeze flats either into the gardens of existing houses or on to plots of former family-sized homes.

To date, some 50 flats and seven houses - involving 11 separate planning applications - have been refused thanks to residents' efforts, including lobbying the council to extend the Ruislip Village Conservation Area.

Lecturer Sue Browne, 56, said: "I have lost count of how many applications we have had over the last few years.

"I started to get involved in 2006 when two large houses were demolished and replaced with a block of flats. They were beautiful - it was so appalling that they were knocked down for something with no style.

"I don't want to see that happen again so I started to do this. It is other residents as well who help with the petitions.

"This bungalow would have been cramped. There are plenty of places elsewhere in Ruislip that won't mean knocking down perfectly good homes or building in gardens."

While many schemes have gone ahead, plans defeated in Kingsend include the conversion of two homes into a block of 14 flats and replacing a house with a block of 11 flats.

In January 2009, the conservation area was extended to Kingsend, and this influenced inspector Susan Holland to reject the bungalow plans in her report.

She wrote: "The suburban character in this area persists. That character depends on generous garden settings, for the retention of trees, and set a standard of established space. The proposal would neither preserve nor enhance this character, but would have a harmful effect on it."

Other new 'ammunition', as Ms Browne calls it, is the reclassification this year of garden land as greenfield rather than brownfield.

To anyone else fighting local developments, she advises: "You have to know what the rules are, and what planning reasons can be used to refuse.

"I have been very active in keeping an eye out for new plans, as you only have 21 days to oppose them.

"If you get a petition of more than 20 names you can speak at the planning meeting, and put things forward which might not otherwise be picked up."