Local wildlife organisations are celebrating after a “damaging” amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been dropped.

The Open Spaces Society, which has been campaigning to protect green spaces, says that the amendment would have made it much easier for local authorities to sell open spaces to developers, ignoring and negating public rights.

The Dartmoor Preservation Association and the Devon Wildlife Trust have been supporting The Open Spaces Society by urging the public to write to their local MP about the issue.

The amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, proposed by Lord Banner, was debated in the House of Lords on Monday November 3 but not then moved.

Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, said: “This is a significant result. We believe that, if the amendment had been passed, many open spaces with rights of recreation could have been lost without local people knowing that their rights were even at risk.

“We look forward to discussing how the law can be clarified while ensuring that the protection of green spaces is not weakened in any way. We are deeply grateful to all the peers who spoke against this deeply damaging amendment.”

Currently, when a local authority disposes of open space it must advertise its intention and allow for public objection.

It must then consider the objections before deciding whether to proceed with the disposal (Local Government Act 1972, section 123(2A)).

The amendment would have meant that land subject to a statutory trust (the Public Health Act 1875 section 164 and the Open Spaces Act 1906) for public recreation would have been freed from that trust if the authority failed to comply with the section 123 procedure— even if the non-compliance was negligent or intentional.

It could then have been developed.

Peers from all the main parties spoke in opposition to the amendment.