“HEAVEN and earth” will be moved to start a park refurbishment in Blackbird Leys, after plans for Town Green status failed.

Fourteen residents applied to turn Blackbird Leys Park into a protected Town Green in June last year.

But on Monday afternoon Oxfordshire County Council rejected the plans on the grounds that the land was already designated as a park.

The Town Green application had been used as an attempt to block a new £9.2m swimming pool complex on the site, proposed by Oxford City Council.

But the plans meant other building work, including a playground and changing rooms, was also delayed.

It is now hoped work can start imminently on a £130,000 upgrade of the Pegasus Road playground and changing rooms for local football teams.

Blackbird Leys city and county councillor Val Smith said: “Now the application has been rejected, I will move heaven and earth to make sure these things happen soon, as people have waited for them for so long.

“The main things are the playground and the boys’ changing rooms. Residents have been waiting for these things for absolutely ages.

“We’ve got the money in the budget and we want to get cracking now.”

In September, local youth football team the Oxford Blackbirds said they were being “caught in the crossfire” of the battle between pool protestors and the council.

Coaches said the Town Green application would prevent them from getting insurance because it would remove the council’s ability to designate areas as sports pitches.

Mrs Smith said: “It has been very frustrating. But hopefully now we can let people know that something will be happening soon and that we will also be looking at the roads in the area to make sure we also deal with people concerned about traffic.”

Both the city and county councils lodged objections to the Town Green bid.

Last night, Pegasus Road resident William Clark, who submitted the Town Green application, said: “It is very disappointing, but we will be appealing this decision, you’d better believe it.”

He added: “And it is important for people to know, we are not the same people as the Temple Cowley Pools group. This is about Blackbird Leys.”

Save Temple Cowley Pools group has applied for a High Court review of the decision to demolish the East Oxford complex to help pay for the new Blackbird Leys pool.

City council executive member for leisure Van Coulter said he hoped work on the swimming pool would begin “as soon as possible”, but was unable to set a date.