Agenda item

To consider an application made under Sections 15(1) and (2) of the Commons Act 2006, to register land known as ‘Church Field’, in the parish of Hilperton, near Trowbridge, as a town or village green.

Definitive Map and Highway Records Manager, Sally Madgwick, presented a report produced by Mr William Webster, appointed by Wiltshire Council as an independent Inspector to reside over a non-statutory public inquiry in relation to an application made under Sections 15(1) and (2) of the Commons Act 2006, to register land known as ‘Church Field’, in the parish of Hilperton, near Trowbridge, as a town or village green. The report recommended that Wiltshire Council accepted the Inspector’s recommendation in rejecting the application for the reasons set out in the Inspector’s report dated 19 November 2020.

Details were provided of the site, the presence of multiple Rights of Way, and the legal tests to be applied when registering land as a town or village green, and that the Inspector considered the evidence did not support that those tests had been met.

Members of the Committee had the opportunity to ask technical details regarding the application.

No members of the public had registered their interest in presenting their views to the committee.

The local Unitary Member, Councillor Ernie Clark, then spoke regarding the application, including that he had previously moved the recommendation for the application to go to a Non- Statutory Public Inquiry. However, having read the Inspector’s report, Cllr Clark was not prepared to move a motion in respect of the application.

A motion was then moved by Councillor Jonathon Seed, seconded by Councillor Peter Fuller, to reject the application for a Town or Village Green in accordance with the Inspector’s recommendation.

A short debate followed, with comments noting the time, effort and commitment that would have been required in making the application, but accepting the conclusions reached by the Inspector in recommending rejection of the application.

At the conclusion of debate, it was,

Resolved:

That the applicationto Register Land Known as 'Church Field', Hilperton as a Town or Village Green be rejected for the reasons set out in the Inspector’s report dated 19 November 2020.

Councillor Ernie Clark requested his vote in abstention be recorded.