Campaigners aiming to save a historic pub have been left devastated after the council granted planning permission to redevelop the site.

The site of the Green Dragon pub in Winchmore Hill is to be sold for developers, it was decided at an Enfield Council planning meeting on Tuesday, 9 February.

This was despite a petition of over 4,500 people trying to save the people, and heartfelt speeches made by supporters of the campaign at the meeting.

Save The Green Dragon Winchmore Hill campaign leader Mike McClean wrote on the group’s Facebook page: “It's all over. We made our final representations at the planning hearing last night but were unsuccessful.

“Many thanks to everybody who supported the campaign in any way over the past year, we did our very best and it was heart-warming to see so many people standing together to try to save our beloved pub. The final total on our petition was 4572 people, it's a shame this didn't count for more.

“I personally will always cherish memories of a childhood in the pub garden, the spending of my first wage packet, the buzz of laughter and conversation on Friday and Saturday nights, countless birthdays and special occasions, and epic Christmas Eve and New Years’ Eve parties.

“There is a real problem with the way applications are processed in this borough and if this doesn't change to allow communities to protect their pubs in the way the legislation was intended, there is a real risk that we could lose many more pubs in the near future.”

According to the 38Degrees petition aiming to save the site, there has been a Green Dragon pub in Winchmore Hill since 1726.

Attempts to have the pub building listed as an "asset of community value" were rejected by the council.

Enfield Council have been contacted for comment.