Campaigners against a housing development on an old university campus have thrown in the towel due to crippling court costs.

The Cat Hill development on a green space will see the redevelopment of a disused Middlesex University campus turned into 231 new homes.

Leader of the campaign, Kim Coleman has devoted years of her time and money to save the site from new housing and planned to take Enfield Borough Council to court over the decision.

The grounds are home to wildlife such as newts and the ponds that are within the site are mentioned in the Doomsday Book.

However, the judicial review process needed upwards of £20,000 to event enter their case and the campaign group managed to raise £7,000.

Mrs Coleman said: “We were initially told by solicitors that we would need to raise £8,000 to fight the battle in the court but that figure continued to rise and was more than £20,000, which we could not raise.”

Battling against the Council and developers L&Q housing for nearly three years, the campaigner is devastated that the group have had to concede defeat.

“I am devastated that this is how it has ended, I think our case was very good but the cost was too great. The council failed to consult the Woodland Trust, English Heritage and the Forestry commission before going ahead with the proposals - that was our case.”

Despite the gutting blow for the group, the Mansfield Avenue resident believes some positives can be taken from the battle.

“We have formed a new Cat Hill Area Residents Association and we will now be able to fight as a stronger force against any decisions in the local area. I have learnt a lot about court appeals and next time this happens, we won’t be caught out.”