Meadow protected from developers

Warneford Meadow is an area of ecological and environmental interest

Campaigners have won their battle to protect an area of meadowland in Oxford from development.

Oxfordshire county councillors voted in favour of designating Warneford Meadow a town green.

Oxfordshire's Mental Health Care Trust wanted to sell the land off to developers.

An independent inspector recommended the meadow should be protected. The health trust will now decided whether they will take any further action.

The meadow is situated in a built up area of east Oxford.

It was bought by Warneford hospital in the 1920s to protect it from development and to provide an open air environment for its mental health patients.

More recently, local residents have used the meadow as a recreational area.

Chris Dunabin from the Friends of Warneford Meadow said: "This is a culmination of two-and-a-half years of very hard work by a lot of local residents to preserve this lovely area of open land for recreation and for its ecological and environmental values, so we're tremendously pleased."