Village Green application sent to an independent expert

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

The decision about whether to grant Village Green status to a piece of land at the junction of Caldershaw Road and Cut Lane in Norden is to be passed on to an independent expert following a meeting at Cheshire East Council on Wednesday following a late objection by Rochdale Borough Council.

The decision, which was already being considered by an external local authority owing to Rochdale Council having a conflict of interes in the matter, will now be passed to a further independent expert to consider if the objection is admissible.

It had been the recommendation of officers from Cheshire East Council for the committee to approve the village green application and campaigners hoped that a final decision on the future of the site would be made on Wednesday.

Local resident Mark Hope, who represents the 'Friends of Heritage Green', was accompanied by ward councillors at Wednesday's committee meeting where they spoke in support of the land becoming the first official village green in Rochdale.  Addressing the committee Mr Hope and the councillors spoke of the community benefit that the land provides to local families and the fact that it is Rochdale Council policy to support such spaces.

After the meeting Mr Hope said: "This is a very complex application which we have now been fighting for three years, so we were understandably frustrated by the outcome. That said, we put a good argument forward to the committee and they seemed to be sympathetic to our case.

"This will be a disappointment to many local people who thought that this would have been concluded, but we will keep on fighting." 

Councillor Mike Holly said: "Clearly it is disappointing that the application for village green status has not been approved, but all is not lost. The fact that Cheshire East Council is taking this for further advice means that the campaign continues."