In Monday's adjournment debate, she said the area was one of the last green spaces - a "green lung" - in the centre of the town.

Ms Kirkbride said the land had been given to the council in 1911 with a covenant restricting its use to recreation. For many years, it had been used as football fields.

"Against government policy"

She said had no objection to the building of an Arts and Leisure centre, but there were other, more suitable sites.

Ms Kirkbride said that the Labour-run council's actions were contrary to government policy not to build on former playing fields and many of its decisions had been taken in private session.

She said that the English Sports Council was going to object to the proposal and she hoped this meant that the case would be referred to Deputy PM John Prescott - in his capacity as secretary of state for the environment - for a final decision.

At one point in her speech, Ms Kirkbride gave way to West Dorset Tory Oliver Letwin, who said he could tell very similar tales from his own constituency.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Nick Raynsford, told Ms Kirkbride that he could not comment on the particular case as it was one which was likely to be referred to his department.

He said, however, that the government was opposed to the sale of playing fields and had advised local councils that they should distinguish between open land used for recreation and land which was unused, or only temporarily used for leisure, when considering planning applications.

Mr Raynsford said he wanted to make it absolutely clear that good-quality playing fields and open spaces should remain available in urban areas.

Minister reassures MP

He said that his department was in the process of tightening up regulations on the sale of local authority owned playing fields, so that the secretary of state would have to decide where the English Sports Council had lodged an objection.

In the interim, Mr Raynsford said councils had been advised to defer making decisions if at all possible, or to refer them to the local government office.

He added that the secretary of state had the power to stop planning permission if it was felt that any council was unlikely to refer an application.