News the greenfield site on the Barnes and Putney border had moved one step closer to safety, and further from the extensive construction work needed to help create the London-wide sewer, was greeted with sighs of relief.

MPs, councillors and more than 16,500 people who signed a petition were delighted by Thames Water’s decision to remove the recreation grounds as a preferred site for a drive shaft allowing access for tunnel drilling equipment.

Members of campaign group Stop the Shaft (StS), who tirelessly petitioned to keep Barn Elms and highlighted why it was an inappropriate choice of site for a construction project of this scale, said they were pleased the views of the people had been acknowledged.

StS chairman Sian Baxter said: “I am extremely pleased that common sense has prevailed and Thames Water has made the right decision for Londoners as a whole.

“The proposal to protect one natural habitat, at the expense of another, was always nonsensical. “It is so important to conserve our beautiful, green spaces - our city would be a soulless and unhappy place without them.”

And Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, a prominent supporter of the campaign and a member of a coalition of residents, councillors, MPs and GLA members called the Save Barn Elms Alliance, said: “This is a real victory for local people.

“The campaign brought the local community together, and as a result, we have managed to protect the future of a valuable site.

“ I am impressed by the rigorous and transparent manner in which Thames Water has conducted this consultation, and I’m grateful for that.”

Barn Elms was first listed as a potential site for constructing a drive shaft to give access to sewer drilling equipment last year, a proposal which caused public uproar as playing fields, a sports centre and boat house used by homeowners across west London as well as surrounding schools, are all located on adjacent parts of the site.

Issues concerning residents about construction of the tunnel included worries the site was greenfield land and building a sewer entrance on it would mean 24-hour-a-day construction work seven-days-a-week for three years.

Following an initial consultation process thousands of people objected to the site as a preferred location, with Barn Elms receiving more objections than any other site proposed across the capital by Thames Water.

A press release issued by Thames Water read: “The new proposed locations for the main tunnel drive sites are Whiffin Wharf, Hurlingham Wharf and Carnwath Road Industrial Estate [which] have together replaced Barn Elms Playing Fields, the previously preferred site on the Richmond/Wandsworth border.

“This change has the benefit of using brownfield land rather than greenfield.”