RADLEY Parish Council is pushing ahead with its fight for village green status for Thrupp and Bullfield lakes despite RWE npower suspending its dumping plans.

The energy company last month said it was putting plans to dump spent fuel ash from Didcot Power Station into Thrupp Lake on ice because of a new scheme to recycle the waste product.

Campaigners against the dumping plans intend to mount a legal challenge to Oxfordshire County Council's decision not to back the bid to give the area village green status. They said RWE npower's announcement would not change that.

The bid for a judicial review has to be made through the parish council and, if it loses, it faces a £40,000 bill. However, campaign group Save Radley Lakes is raising money to cover this cost.

Parish council chairman Jennie Standen said: "The statement that npower put out was great, but it was only deferral. It doesn't mean that they have cancelled their plans in regard with the lakes. They could come back at any time should they find that their recycling is inadequate to do with output.

"Therefore, we still feel that the lakes need the protection of becoming a town green so we would still like to go ahead with that. We are absolutely certain, having taken legal advice, that there were errors in the inspector's report. We feel it did not reflect the evidence that was given and we do wish to contest the decision."

The campaigners are seeking village green status for both Thrupp and Bullfield lakes, although the latter is not threatened under RWE npower's plan.

The power company was granted planning permission to use Thrupp Lake in July 2006 by Oxfordshire County Council and has since won other planning consents.

A survey of Radley residents found that 80 per cent of those who replied supported the judicial review.

Save Radley Lakes chairman Basil Crowley, who also sits on the parish council, welcomed the decision to continue with the campaign.

A public inquiry investigated claims that the lakes had been used for recreation by local people for 20 years without interruption - the test for registration.

The inspector reported back to the county council last autumn with his recommendation that the area should not be registered as a village green. The council's planning and regulation committee backed the ruling.