Councillors threw their support behind a petition to save a historic pub.

The Green Dragon pub, in Green Lanes, Winchmore Hill, closed two months ago after running into financial trouble, and people living in the area now fear it could be knocked down and replaced with flats.

An online petition to list the club as a community asset has generated more than 4,200 signatures, with many calling for the pub to be restored to its former glory.

This would enable community groups that want to buy it six months to put together a bid.

But some feared a hammer-blow had been dealt to the campaign earlier this month when the historic site was turned into a temporary shop.

Mike McClean, founder of the ‘save the Green Dragon pub’ campaign called on Enfield Borough Council to support the petition when the authority met last night.

He said: “The Green Dragon has been the centre of the community for 300 years and in many ways, defines the area as Winchmore Hill, it is still well loved within the community.

“You [the council] can put your wishes and needs ahead of the community or you can help us to protect it, a building which has always been a pub.”

The campaigner claimed a decision on the future of the pub had been made in the past behind closed doors and that “greedy and selfish developers” could lead to homes being built on the site.

Cllr Andrew Stafford stated that the pub has a “very rich heritage”, but called on the campaign to prove that the pub will still have demand if it is reopened.

But all councillors agreed unanimously to support the nomination which will now go to a panel that will decide on whether the site will become a community asset.