Hopes for a village green appear to have been dashed after an inspector told councillors to reject the scheme.
For two years residents have battled to turn land in Wem into a village green for recreational use.
Two applications have been made under different legislation for Shropshire County Council to formally register the land known as Bridgefields, Orchard Way/Aston Road.
But an independent inspector’s report to the SCC planning committee meeting on Tuesday recommends that both are rejected. People in Wem launched the initial bid to register the land as a village green in 2006 in the hope of protecting it from future development, but the owner, Gerald Smith, objected.
In October last year a public inquiry was held at Hawkstone Park Hotel.
In conclusion, the planning inspector’s report reads: “It is my recommendation that the Registration Authority should not add the land to the register of town and village greens. The land has not been used for lawful sports and pastimes with sufficient frequency and continuity for 20 years since 1986.”
Further reasons given are: “That the use was interrupted in relation to the 1965 Act application as a result of prohibition of access to the land during the foot and mouth outbreak.
“That the area identified as ‘the residential estates adjacent to Orchard Way, Aston Road, Soulton Road, Station Road Roden Grove, Sungrove and Eckford Park’ is not a qualifying locality or a neighbourhood within a locality.
“The use of land has not been a of right of way for 20 years because it has deferred to the agricultural use.”
None of the parties involved wished to comment on the matter until after next week’s meeting.
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