Many attended a public meeting to express support to save agricultural fields from development.

Around 100 people attended a public meeting in Barnet to save the fields at Whalebones from the threat of development, after executors of the estate announced they were considering building homes over the fields.

The 14 acre space was owned by Gwyneth Cowing, an artist who passed away in 1987, leaving the estate in her will to be managed as agricultural land for as long as was practical.

Addressing the meeting, MP for Chipping Barnet Theresa Villiers said: "I am strongly opposed to building over Whalebones. This evening I am asking for your support in the campaign to save the fields at Whalebones. We need to work together to try to stop this.

"Saving Whalebones won’t be an easy task, but this landmark green space is something we should fight to conserve. Areas like this are one of the things that give our area its unique character and it would be a tragedy if were to be lost to a housing estate. Once gone, it will be lost forever."

No application has been published yet, but it is believed one will be issued soon as the executors of the estate entered into a contract with developers Hill in the summer.

The campaign can be found at www.whalebonespark.com