During a visit to the town the Prime Minister promised there is "no possibility" of the Government approving any future plans for the monster development behind residents' backs.

Campaigners who met yesterday to fight the proposals fear Reading-based property experts Campbell Gordon - which has submitted the proposals for this year’s Wolfson Economic Prize - hope to bypass the town’s planning laws by drawing up an act of parliament if they win the coveted crown.

In his submission the firm's Ian Campbell proposed setting up a "statutory body with the requisite powers of land purchase and planning control", to be established by act of parliament.

But Mr Cameron today told The Chronicle: "I co-authored the paper on garden cities and it couldn't be clearer - this will only go ahead if there is local support and local council support.

"There's no possibility of the top down imposition of a garden city on Reading. It's very good for people to come up with proposals but this would have to be locally led and locally sanctioned."

During his visit Mr Cameron also said:

* He ought to be a Reading FC fan after growing up in the area. The PM was brought up in Peasemore near Newbury but is an Aston Villa supporter.

* That he was "very impressed" by railway works to widen the viaduct at Cow Lane and improvements to Reading station. He described the works as "a really important piece of infrastructure in a key part of the country".

* Crossrail coming to Reading was "exciting" and that his Government was open to suggestions on how to further improve the planned route.

* That Local Entreprise Partnerships (LEPs) have a crucial role to play in the deadlock over a third Thames bridge and added: "We need Oxfordshire and Berkshire to meet and talk about potential solutions."

* That the Government will continue to invest in flood defences in the area and will look at small, community led schemes which can save individual pockets of houses as well as larger Government-led projects.

* He hopes Boris Johnson will return to Parliament soon because he is "like a football manager - I want to have my best players on the pitch". Mr Johnson is expected to announce he will run as an MP after his second term as Mayor of London ends.

Reading West MP Alok Sharma said: “I was delighted to welcome the Prime Minister to my constituency to see the huge rail infrastructure investment being put in place locally by the Conservative-led government.

"Of course, apart from a big improvement for rail commuters one of the other benefits of the wider scheme will be massively improving traffic flows at Cow Lane which I know my constituents and local businesses in west Reading are really looking forward to.”

Reacting to Mr Cameron's statement, Labour's parliamentary candidate for Reading West, Victoria Groulef, who set up a petition opposing the garden city proposals, said: "I welcome David Cameron's announcement and we will hold him to his word.

"I'm delighted that he will listen to the views and opinions of local people and I'm really pleased we've galvanised that support to make it absolutely clear that we don't agree to building 30,000 houses on the Kennet flood plain."

Southcote Cllr John Ennis added: "I think that it's great that the Prime Minister has bowed to local pressure and he's taken on board the strong views of local residents and the strength of feeling.

"It's not going to happen now because the council are opposed to it."