The sale of Kneller Hall will be debated at a public meeting with the Ministry of Defence this month.

Twickenham MP Tania Mathias secured the meeting during a Parliament debate with Defence Minister Mark Lancaster last week.

The debate will be held at Kneller Hall, the home of the Royal Military School of Music, on Friday, March 18 at 7.30pm.

Dr Mathias will be joined by the Commandant Barry Jenkins and representatives from the MoD.

She said: “It’s going to be very tricky but I still feel that because we are one of 12 that if we show how important and unique this is I am still hopeful that the ministry will think again.

“It’s hard because they have said it doesn’t need to be site specific.

“My concern was that they should have invested in 2009 - that is when we should have fought it.”

The MoD has already contacted Richmond Council’s planning department about building 192 homes on the site.

Mr Lancaster also confirmed it would cost at least £30m to upgrade the Royal Military School of Music’s “ancient and inefficient” home.

The hall was discussed at Tuesday’s full council meeting at York House, with both sides of the chamber pledging to oppose its sale.

Council leader Lord True said: “The council – regardless of political affiliation, stands united in its opposition to turning this treasure into a housing estate.

“Make no mistake – we will let any developer who is tempted to buy Kneller Hall know that we will not make it easy for them.

“We will resist bitterly any attempt to encroach on any green space.”

Leader of Richmond’s Liberal Democrats Councillor Gareth Roberts also committed to fighting the sale.

He said: “Where the Defence Minister and his army of bean counters see an asset to be disposed of, we see a unique institution, an intrinsic part of Whitton’s identity and heritage and one which has a proud history of service both to the local community and to the nation as a whole.

“To suggest that this could be cast aside in favour of saving a few bob is both short sighted and insulting.”