Campaigners who saved a park in Brentford from development have failed in their bid to secure it protected status.

Brent Lea Recreation Ground, in London Road, Brentford, was earmarked as the temporary location for the new primary free school Floreat Brentford.

But those plans were scuppered by local residents , angered by the loss of green land, meaning the school had to look elsewhere.

Emboldened by their success and keen to safeguard the park from the spectre of future development, campaigners applied to have the site listed as an asset of community value.

That would have required anyone wishing to sell the land to allow the local community six months in which to put together a bid.

However, the application was rejected by Hounslow Council on the grounds the nominating group failed to show a sufficient "local connection" or provide enough evidence of local support.

Park could host open-air concerts

Joanna Russell, of the recently-formed Friends of Brentford Lea Recreation Ground, said the group was not disheartened by the rejection.

She said members hoped to secure funding from the council to improve the park and hold events there, before reapplying for protected status.

"We're trying to get better signage so more people know it's here, and we're also hoping to get council funding for picnic benches, a wooden climbing frame and some wild flower planting," she said.

"Once we've made those improvements we plan to organise events such as a bat walk and possibly an open-air concert.

"If we can encourage more people to use the park we believe we'll succeed next time in making it an asset of community value."

Brent Lea Recreation Ground in Brentford

Ms Russell added that the park was in discussions with the council's parks contractor Carillion about housing an outdoor gym, after users of nearby St Paul's Recreation Ground had declined the offer.

Brent Lea Rec is one of five potential school sites on green-field land identified by the council in a new survey, though the report recognises there would have to be "special circumstances" to justify building on protected Metropolitan Open Land.

Floreat Brentford recently found a permanent site at a car park in Brentford , where it hopes to move in time for the 2018/19 school year.

There are currently four assets of community value within Hounslow. The most recent to be recognised is Park Road allotments, in Isleworth , where gardeners are fighting plans for new homes by the owner of Syon Park.