More than 750 residents have signed a petition to ‘Save Falcon Park’ after plans were approved for a floodlit football pitch on the Battersea site.

Wandsworth Council is planning the construction of a fenced-off, artificially-surfaced, floodlit football pitch and changing rooms on the park but campaigners are protesting against the proposal.

Falcon Park, also known locally as Banana Park, is a 2.5-hectare green space north of Clapham Junction.

The pitches would cover 22.4 per cent of the park and were first agreed as part of a deal after the planned closure of the Battersea Sports Centre.

Speaking on behalf of Save Falcon Park, Dr Clare Graham said: "This park is a wonderful place. It's like a sliver of open countryside, tucked away between the railway embankments.

"It's a much-treasured local resource: a peaceful back garden open to everyone, in a crowded urban area where many have no gardens of their own.

"We're not convinced by Wandsworth's argument that the borough needs more artificial pitches. Even if it does, we feel there are better places to site one."

February 9: Battersea Sports Centre will be open all year, as 3G pitch is delayed until 2017

February 2015: Councillors agree to close Battersea Sports Centre as battle lines drawn between Tories and Labour

The plans received cross-party support in November 2015 and were subject to public consultation in the autumn of 2015 when a percentage of participants supported the plans.

In a statement on November 25, 2015, Councillor Jonathan Cook said: “If we want to encourage young people in this part of Battersea to engage in more healthy sporting activities then we really need to improve the facilities in Falcon Park.

“The existing pitches are no longer fit for purpose which is why the council has set aside £1.3m to provide a new all-weather playing surface which will be available for a wide variety of sports and leisure uses.

“We are of course mindful that Falcon Park is a popular open space, and is particularly well-used by local dog walkers.

This is why we are looking to site the new pitch in the south-west corner of the park so that dog owners and other visitors can continue to enjoy a large uninterrupted green space.”

The planning application has been submitted and was due to close for comments on Tuesday, July 12.