Council to decide on Telford village green protection bid
An application by residents to protect a village green in Telford from developers will be heard this week – more than six years after the application was made.
St George's and Priorslee parish council asked Telford & Wrekin Council to make the area of land between Priorslee Avenue and Derwent Drive an official Village Green in February 2010.
But council officials say there has been a delay in dealing with the application because enquiries have had to be made to find out who owns the land.
It will be debated by members of Telford & Wrekin Council's licensing committee on Wednesday night.
Council neighbourhood services officer Angie Astley said in a report due to go before the committee:
"An application was received from St George's and Priorslee parish council on February 1, 2010, to haveland between Priorslee Avenue and Derwent Drive, known as 'The Green', registered as a Village Green under the Commons Act 2006.
"The application meets the requirements. There has been a delay in processing it, partly due to locating the owner of the application site. No objections to the application to register the land as a Village Green have been received."
The report says the council can register land as a Village Green if it is satisfied the land has been used for "lawful sports and pastimes" for a period of at least 20 years, and remains in use up to the time of the application.
Ms Astley adds: "There is no clear legal definition of this term, however, sports and pastimes has traditionally included flying kites, playing football, picnicking, walking a dog, kicking a ball and birdwatching.
"Events such as village fetes and carnivals would also fall under the definition of sports and pastimes."
A number of letters from Priorslee residents have been included in the report for committee members to read, backing the application for Village Green status.
In one, dated January 2010, Marcus Brampton, of Wordsworth Way, Priorslee, says: "I have lived adjacent to, and within Priorslee for over 30 years.
There have frequently been football, cricket, or tennis matches, and games of all descriptions, in progress.
"Also in the summer, families sitting in the shade of the trees, reading books or magazines and watching their children and others playing happily together.
"The green really embodies the spirit of a village community."
The meeting takes place at the council's headquarters at Addenbrooke House from 6pm.
