Protecting "public" land from development

[ThingOne]

I know you can apply for village green status, and I know you can draw up covenants. How do you go about doing these things? How can you protect it in perpetuity? And how can you make sure a statutory authority isn't pulling a fast one?

Just a small ask, I realise .

Haa. You have to show 12 years of public use (this can be done by contacting old residents). You need to contact the land registry to stick a covenant on a plot of land or a building but you need to show that you are directly involved. The council must publish all planning applications/change of use on their web site and put up signs so you need to be vigilant.
Look in your local library for pictures of the land etc, this will help to prove the 12 years use as a village green.
It's often better and easier to get the locals involved.

I am the locals. We are involved. I'm just a bit concerned we're being taken for a ride! Our application for village green status was sat on for some time and now "another option" has been proposed by the council. It may well be legit but never trust anybody until it's down in writing.

Look through some local history books, there are normally photo's of parts which date from the turn of the century (ish), you can also get statements from the more older residents (I played on there in 1960, I walk my dog there every day since 19 something, this sort of thing).

Registering land as a village green

What sort of development is proposed? Or is it more of a pre-emptive thing? What is the land used for now, and by whom? Who owns it? Sorry many questions, but I have some experience of protecting land from development.

No development is proposed atm.

Until recently, the land has been unstable and i has been a park for a long time. Well over fifty years, maybe a hundred. All well documented. The land has now been stabilised after years of work. A year or so ago, village green status was applied for but the council sat on it. We were obviously keen to protect it as an open space. I asked a few times why the VGS hadn't been followed up but I have been ill for most of the last six months so not followed up my harrassing of other local keenos .

There's a complicated use of land issue elsewhere in the town. Basically what most people want, and the council wants, isn't legal use of the land. Our park is being offered as some kind of swap to maintain the amount of public space. It's a bit odd as ours is an existing public space.

I want to make sure we're not being used, and that we will get our public space retained and looked after in perpetuity.

I don't know what more I can say without outing myself even more than I already have.

So the council are proposing to 'swap' the park and make it into a public space to compensate for the loss of another public space? If the park is a public space already then they are IMO trying to diddle/bamboozle the local people. Will their proposal lead to an overall reduction in public space?

I'd fight for VG status. Harrass the buggers

Have you heard of the Open Spaces Society? They could be able to advise you further.

I contacted them and they were v helpful.
(OSS)

Ooh, ta, wil read up.

I'm just smelling a rat as it all seems rather too convenient, given they sat on our application for so long.

Sounds all wrong to me.

If the land they want to develop is public land, then they need to create some new public space to replace it. And if your park is already public space, then it can't be used to maintain the amount...

But it seems the agument rests on whether the park actualy is already a public space? Because if not then of course they could designate it as such to replace the land they wish to develop.

When you say the application was 'sat on' - did the council recieve a full and complete application? And then just do f-all with it? Thats pretty suspicious IMO

Thanks for help. I've made some notes for this week's meeting, complete with references and intend to hand them to chair/secretary to make sure points are adequately minuted .