Newport group quietly confident of winning village green battle
A campaign group fighting plans for a huge supermarket in Newport has said that is members are 'quietly confident' that a field at the centre of the plans will become a village green.
A public inquiry has been running all week at the Royal Victoria Hotel in St Mary's Street to determine whether or not land next to Station Road should be re-classified as a village green.
The application was made by resident John Rudd and if successful would protect the land from development, bringing an end to plans for a 50,000sq ft Sainsbury's on the council-owned land.
Dave Parker, spokesman for Save Newport, the pressure group which is fighting the supermarket application, said: "I don't want to get people's hopes up but we are quietly confident that we will get village green status.
"The inquiry has been a lengthy and thorough process. Every opportunity has been given to the many witnesses who have taken part to present their case that the land should be protected as a village green.
"These witnesses have told of a broad range of recreational and leisure activities that have taken place there over the last 20 years.
"They have all been a credit to Newport and Church Aston. They have demonstrated that there is an extensive need that this area should be re-classified."
The inquiry did not sit yesterday but will reconvene on Monday at noon at Walker Room, Meeting Point House, Telford, when both sides will present their closing submissions.
