Kneller Hall “should not be tossed away to please junior accounting clerks in the Treasury”, according to the leader of Richmond Council.

Lord True launched a stinging attack on the decision to sell off the Royal Military School of Music HQ in a letter to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

His call for the MoD, which he describes as “pig-headed”, to review the sale of Kneller Hall comes in the same week that thousands of people signed petitions against the move.

In an extract from the letter, he says: “The borough stands united in its condemnation of these plans.

“Rationalisation is often necessary and excess public land should be sold.

“But the listed Kneller Hall is an important piece of not just local, but national cultural and military heritage.

“It should not be tossed away to please junior accounting clerks in the Treasury with no understanding of the place of military music in London’s life and our nation’s military history.”

Speaking to the Richmond and Twickenham Times, he added: “It is part of the fabric of our borough and people in Whitton are intensely proud of the royal connection in Kneller Hall.

“The MoD is a notoriously pig-headed institution but we have got a feisty MP in Tania Mathias and let’s get behind Zac Goldsmith as well.

“Whitton is rather more affordable than rest of the borough – we don’t want rich mans’ housing, thank you very much, we have got enough of those already.”

There have been more than 3,500 signatures across three petitions calling on the MoD to reconsider selling off Kneller Hall as part of its £500m estates disposal plan.

London mayoral candidate and Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith said he is “extremely concerned” about the announcement and will work with Dr Mathias and Lord True on the matter.

Twickenham MP Tania Mathias said she is “dismayed” by the plans and confirmed she will lobby ministers to reverse the decision.

Leader of Richmond’s Liberal Democrat opposition Councillor Gareth Roberts said the council is “united in its stand” against the disposal of Kneller Hall.

He said: “MoD plans to dispose of Kneller Hall have failed in the past and it is to be hoped the threat will be defeated once again.”

Whitton councillor Grant Healey described the change.org petition as the people’s petition and reiterated his opposition to the plans.

He said: “Speaking to residents you hear really positive stories about people’s relationships with Kneller Hall, such as husbands and wives meeting at the concerts.”

View to petition at change.org/p/stop-the-closure-of-kneller-hall.