After two months of heated debate, consultations and protests, plans to house the Gloriana at Orleans Riverside have been consigned to the scrapheap.

A report following the two-month consultation had been due at next week’s Richmond Council cabinet meeting.

This morning, the council confirmed due to the overwhelmingly negative response to the proposals, they would not proceed with the boathouse scheme.

Friends of Orleans Riverside spokesman Paul Bigley said the group was pleased the council had listened to residents as promised.

He said: “The park is beloved by local people and has been for generations, it is low key, low cost, and we love it that way - it is a council success just as it is.”

Fellow campaigner Mandie Adams McGuire said: “It would have been tragic if the proposals had gone forward to planning.

“The Arcadian view protected by a 1902 Act of Parliament will now remain safe for generations to come.”

Leader of the council Lord True confirmed there are no plans to explore other options to house the Royal Row Barge in the borough and the Heritage Lottery Fund application has been withdrawn.

He said: “Many local people did support the idea of Gloriana coming to the borough, but, sadly, in hosting such a unique and specialised craft, a number of technical issues arise, which limit the number of practical sites and require compromise.”

No planning application for the boathouse will be presented by either the council or the Gloriana trustees.

Neighbouring councils in Hounslow and Kingston have already expressed an interest in housing the barge, with one unnamed borough thought to be in the running.

Parents, dog walkers and visitors to Orleans Gardens expressed their delight at the news on Friday morning.

Angela Lee, 60, from Twickenham said: “I am over the moon as I have been so worried about it - they can’t make it more beautiful than it already is.”

Sally Shinal, 47, from Whitton told our reporter: “I come here quite regularly and there is no need to put anything else here, it looks nice as it is.”

A St Margarets mother, who asked not to be named, said: “I responded to the consultation and did object over the access routes - this is a truly glorious area.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Richmond, Councillor Stephen Knight, said he wanted to get to the bottom of how much public money was spent on the doomed project.

He said: “Clearly the council and the leader have spent large amounts of public money on this folly of an initiative without checking anyone wanted it.”

Deputy leader Councillor Geoffrey Samuel said he was sad the plans now lay dead in the water but that it demonstrates that the council honours public consultations.

He said: “I would have liked it there but we do believe in consultations.”

On Twitter, people also commented about their relief the plans had been ditched and raised concerns over how much had been spent on it.

@RAC6124 posted: “i’d like to know how much the whole shambles has cost- I’m sure they won’t mind telling us how much of our money was spent.”

Sarah Webster tweeted: “Utterly thrilled. The entire proposal was mismanaged, poorly researched and misrepresented by a very disengenuous LBRUT.”

However, @Gypsypaula commented that it was a shame the Gloriana would not be coming to Twickenham.

She said: “How sad to halt this plan when I know of no local person who was consulted. Sure majority would have been proud to house it”.