Top honour for Trap Grounds campaign

Ms Robinson and her pressure group, the Friends of the Trap Grounds, have been handed the CPRE Mark in recognition of their "outstanding and successful" campaign to save the site from housing development.

The award was given because the campaign to save the Trap Grounds has inspired similar actions to save green spaces across the country.

It is only the second time the coveted honour has been awarded in Oxfordshire.

Earlier this year, after a four-year battle, Oxford city councillors finally admitted there was no prospect of building affordable homes on the land, near Port Meadow. The council had wanted to build 45 houses there.

The recognition followed a decision in the House of Lords last year that the land should be registered as a Town Green.

Ms Robinson said: "It was a long and gruelling campaign. Its worst moment was when the Court of Appeal made a ruling that meant the Trap Grounds could not be registered as a Town Green, nor probably, could any other site.

"The subsequent House of Lords decision rewrote Town Green law and saved the Trap Grounds - and hopefully many other threatened sites also.

"The site is owned by Oxford City Council, but it has been dragging its feet in setting up a management scheme for the site. We have saved the site, but now we need to apply for grants and work hard to improve public access to the overgrown scrubland."

Despite its origins as a rubbish tip, over the past 50 years the six acres of woodland, scrubland and reed bed have become rich in wildlife.

CPRE Oxfordshire spokesman Bruce Tremayne said: "This has been one of the most effective campaigns to save green space in Oxfordshire. Not only has it inspired other campaigns to fight hard and not give up, it has sorted out the law on town greens.

"The campaigns to save Radley Lakes and Warneford Meadow are both relying on the House of Lords decision."