Campaigners have lost their fight to stop a huge sports centre being built on greenbelt land.

Planning permission for the ‘centre of sporting excellence’ was granted last night by Hertsmere Borough Council's planning committee.

A ten-storey hotel, a hostel, a research laboratory and sports facilities will be built in Rowley Lane, Borehamwood.

The People Against the "Centre of Excellence" group were furious about the scheme's approval.

A statement from the group reads: "Following the decision to grant Legal & General outline planning permission, the People Against the "Centre of Excellence" group is obviously very disappointed in the councillors of Hertsmere Borough Council and their choice to follow the money as opposed to doing what is right for the people and green belt land.

"However, now that this decision has been made, representatives from PACE look forward to working with the council and the developers on an independent committee in order to make sure certain restrictions are implemented, so that the centre can be enjoyed by those that will benefit from it, while not vastly affecting the majority of local residents so clearly opposed to its decimation of green belt land previously marked as actually unsuitable by Hertsmere Borough Council for this development."

As well as a ten-storey hotel, the new plans include physiotherapy rooms, nutrition rooms, seminar rooms and a treatment area, none of which will be open to the public, and a car park with 850 spaces.