Friends close to victory in village green battle
ACOMMUNITY group look set to win their battle to protect a village green from development.
The Friends of Heritage Green have been campaigning to save the plot of recreational land in Norden since May 2015.
Last year they won their fight to prevent it being sold off to housing developers.
And now the councilowned land on the corner of Caldershaw Road and Cut Lane looks set to be formally recognised as a village green - preventing it from being built on.
In March last year Rochdale council delegated the decision to Cheshire East council to prevent a potential conflict of interest.
And a draft report, seen by the Observer, recommends Cheshire East Council’s Public Rights of Way Committee approves the application when it meets on December 4.
Mark Hope, a spokesman for the Friends of Heritage Green, said: “The Friends of Heritage Green are delighted that its considerable efforts have led to this recommendation.
“Reading the paper brought a lump to my throat as the content confirmed in great detail that the group has proven its case with a huge weight of evidence which appears to lead Cheshire East council to only one possible conclusion, that the field should be registered.
“This all reminds me of how the community rallied round and 136 people completed six page questionnaires because of their passion for saving the recreational space and people of all ages were knocking on my door at all hours handing in hand written responses.
“This evidence has been crucial to the application being given serious consideration and makes me proud to live in Norden and play a small part in this campaign.”
Mark also paid tribute to his fellow volunteers who worked tirelessly to put together the application. He added: “We have done the best we can as mere amateurs and it is amazing that we have got this far without any legal help which the group simply can’t afford as this would cost thousands of pounds. It should not be underestimated how impressive success with the application would be as the granting of registration is as rare as hen’s teeth.
“Fingers crossed for December 4. Whilst all looks well, it will be a relief to see the vote go our way and then we can really celebrate.”
If you are interested in joining the Friends of Heritage Green contact Mark on markhope680@btinternet.com or 07812 195873.