BACK in June, around 200 Shirehampton residents were refused entry to a meeting to discuss the council's possible plans to designate the Daisy Field and Lamplighters land as sites for possible building development.

Public anger was palpable; Bristol City Council has already demolished Shirehampton's swimming pool, closed the Robin Cousins sports centre and stripped the village of its local amenities.

Now, under its "Parks and Green Spaces Strategy", it is discussing selling off Shirehampton's open space.

I wrote to the council, requesting a full public meeting, and on Tuesday we finally held that public meeting.

The whole point of the meeting was to put the council up in front of the people who really know and care about the area.

Residents turned out in great numbers and the wealth of knowledge and history of the local area that emerged from residents' contributions to the meeting was outstanding.

I would like to thank the council officers who agreed to come to the meeting and Cllr Siobhan Kennedy- Hall for all her work on the issue.

Most of all I would like to thank the residents who attended the meeting and put forward such an impressive and well-informed argument for keeping the Lamplighters and Daisy Field land for future generations to enjoy.

A message to the leader of the council: if you are listening to the people of Bristol, you will drop your plans to build on Shirehampton's vital green spaces, at the first opportunity.

But if you do not, rest assured, the campaign will not end here.

Charlotte Leslie, Prospective Conservative MP, Bristol North West.