A CONTROVERSIAL scheme to sell off a memorial field to make way for a new housing estate has been put on hold by the Government.

Tranmere Rovers’ plans to build almost 100 homes at Ingleborough Road field were given the go-ahead by the borough’s planning committee last month.

However protesters, including residents and Birkenhead Institute Old Boys, campaigned against the proposals in a bid to retain the field’s historical nature a memorial to the school’s 88 World War One fallen heroes.

Now the Department for Communities and Local Government has halted the decision and ordered the local authority to submit full details of the plans.

Secretary of State Eric Pickles will review the decision.

Lead campaigner Dean Johnson is hoping it will lead to a public inquiry.

Mr Johnson, who attended the Birkenhead Institute, said: “As soon as the decision to approve the plans was made, we wrote to the National Planning Council because we were totally unhappy with the way we were represented at the meeting and we felt it was just stacked against us.

“To get this independently looked at is really good news as I think there is too much conflicting interest between the club and the council with the sponsorship deal and also hospitality arrangements for councillors. Wirral is a small place and the issue has become very cloudy.

“We are hoping the Secretary of State will decide a public inquiry is necessary and we will then have a chance of stopping the plans.”

The project to build at Ingleborough goes hand-in-hand with a scheme to revamp Woodchurch Leisure Centre with state-of-the-art facilities.

A legally-binding order attached to the plans’ approval means work cannot start at Ingleborough until the money is in place to redevelop the leisure centre.

But the Government stop notice will prevent Wirral Council from formally issuing Rovers with their approval.

A council spokesman confirmed the DCLG had written to the authority last week asking for all the relevant documentation surrounding the plans and that a stop notice had been served.

Tranmere Rovers Supporters Trust declined to comment at this stage.

Tranmere Rovers said they would not be making a comment.