PUBLIC opinion has forced councillors to lift a cloud of uncertainty surrounding plans by fundraisers to buy and preserve 88 acres of open land around Richmond.

Richmond Landscape Trust and its fundraising arm, Richmond Open Spaces Appeal, protested last week after it emerged through a district council committee agenda that the deal could be based on leasehold rather than the freehold arrangement previously discussed.

The authority was bombarded with letters of concern and the public gallery of the resources committee was packed on Tuesday, when the revelation in an officer's report was described by an apologetic councillor as "a glitch in communications".

After further investigations by officers, the committee finally agreed that the freehold should be transferred but with restrictive covenants designed to safeguard for future community use the areas to be sold by the council at a knockdown price of £120,000.

Fundraisers who feared that reference to a lease could endanger the whole scheme said after the meeting they were pleased with the decision because it meant their work could continue.

Margaret Barry, the council's corporate unit manager, said legal advice had been sought on the respective merits of a 999-year lease, which would allow the authority to take back the land in the event of difficulties, or a freehold transfer.

A leasehold arrangement would lessen the potential risks of the landscape trust being wound up with intervention by the Charity Commissioners or of community enthusiasm for the project waning.

Council leader John Blackie, who proposed a freehold transfer with covenants, told the committee: "All discussions were based on freehold and it came as a surprise that leasehold had crept in.

"There has been a glitch in communications and I want to apologise, but the council was duty-bound to take account of risk assessment.

"There is a tremendous rolling momentum to ensure that these lands get transferred to public ownership for public use. The open spaces appeal is doing a terrific job and this initiative will be wonderful news for people in Richmond and for visitors if it can be delivered."

The charitable trust was formed earlier this year to buy five plots of land - Westfields, Jack King's Wood, Southbank and fields at Reeth Road and Sleegill - from the council.

The price is payable over three years, with the first instalment of £40,000 due this month. A public appeal launched in April has raised more than £13,000 and a further £7,000 has been pledged. The trust plans to borrow the balance to ensure the deal goes ahead.

Stuart Parsons, a district councillor and founder member of the trust, said after the committee meeting: "John Blackie deserves a big thank you for his support because it was fairly clear that without his help in fighting for freehold, the project might have been in jeopardy.

"We are very happy now and we can go out and fundraise. We know we can get the money. All uncertainty has now been removed."