Friends ask council to voluntarily dedicate the field as a Village Green

Deer on Heritage Green, the field at the junction of Caldershaw Road and Cut Lane, Norden

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The Friends of the Heritage Green on Caldershaw Road, Norden, are hoping that Rochdale Council will voluntarily dedicate the field as a Village Green to speed up their application process and save the costs of a potential public inquiry.

The group, who persuaded the council to retract its plans to sell the Heritage Green last year, have already submitted an application for the field to be registered as a Village Green.

Mark Hope, from the Friends of Heritage Green, said: “Hopefully the improvement benefits, coupled with the fact that the land is highly unlikely to be built upon anyway, will persuade Rochdale Council to pursue the route of voluntarily dedicating the field as a Village Green and save all concerned a lot of time, effort and money.”

Status as a Village Green would ensure the land’s long term preservation for recreational and leisure purposes, whilst preventing the Council from making any future plans to sell it.

The application has been delegated to Cheshire East Council, with Rochdale Council having chosen not to determine the outcome itself because of a possible conflict of interest, given that it owns the land.

The process of applying to be registered as a Village Green has already taken over a year and could yet take a further 12 months, with a public inquiry ran by an independent expert likely to follow.

The group, which now has over 270 members, claim that the land is blighted and therefore unlikely to be built upon.

In the early 1990s, 24 houses built as part of an extension of the Heritage Green estate development on the nearby Cut Lane had to be demolished because of major subsidence problems with the houses, services and the road.

The Heritage Green was severely affected in last year’s floods as well, further demonstrating the problems with the land.

The Friends of Heritage Green also want to expand the recreational use of the field and enhance its appearance, facilities and environment for local residents. Members of the group have recently undertaken a thorough clean-up of the site, and the Environment Agency has cleared the Cut and the banks where fish were seen whilst deer are frequently spotted nearby.

Mr Hope said: "As always, participation and support from anyone in any way would be welcomed and greatly appreciated. If you are interested in joining the Friends of Heritage Green (for free) and receiving information relating to the campaign, all you have to do is provide your name and contact details."

markhope680@btinternet.com
07812 195873