Vince Cable

Vincent Cable MP with constituents in Kneller Gardens

Scores of residents turned out on Sunday to support the Crane Valley Open Day organised by FORCE the community action group which is proposing environmentally friendly alternatives to the council's proposals for housing and other built development on the Mereway allotment site, the grounds of the Twickenham Rifle Club and elsewhere.

A picnic, an exhibition of shooting at the rifle club, children's play activities and a dog parade (judged by MP Vincent Cable) were highlights of the day which also had a serious purpose: to seek residents views on alternative approaches to development, preserving Metropolitan Open Land for community purposes.

Vincent Cable said: "there is clearly strong support in the community for an alternative to what the council is proposing. After it rather arrogantly disregarded alternatives to its own option for building on the rifle club and Mereway allotment site, there is something of a backlash."

There is a simplistic populist appeal in the council's argument that new homes must come before the environment but as FORCE has convincingly argued, even a derelict allotment site has an important environmental function, as flood plain land, and has enormous potential as a nature reserve to provide a valuable resource for the community".

"There is also a lot of support for the Twickenham Rifle Club - one of the most successful in Britain, used by 200 local sportsmen and women - which is at risk of losing its club house and ranges."