Heritage Green on the map and on the Green

A plaque naming Heritage Green as a registered village green has been installed on a stone marker on Wednesday (27 February).

Heritage Green was finally entered in Rochdale Council’s register of Town and Village Greens on 6 February, making it official that Heritage Green had been saved and protected for the long term.

Mark Hope, of Friends of Heritage Green, said: “It has been a very exciting few months, after campaigning long and hard, everything has finally slotted in to place.

“A marker in the form of 2 millstones and a plaque was installed by Rochdale Council to commemorate registration as a Village Green. The marker looks great and literally marks the final chapter in our journey to save and protect Heritage Green for present and future generations of men, women, children and animals from Norden, Caldershaw and other nearby neighbourhoods to enjoy."

 

 

He continued: “I visited this morning to admire the marker and spoke to about a dozen interested and grateful residents who were walking their dogs, going to school and generally getting on with their day on and alongside the playing field. It filled me with great pride that we had come so far and achieved so much, and I will glance at the marker every time I go by and think – ‘We did that!’

“All that is left for the Friends of Heritage Green and the community to do is to continue to enjoy Heritage Green and look after it and improve it.

“The simple truth is that the field is a community recreation facility and should always stay as just that and by using it and fighting for it, the community has ensured that it will.

“I would like to thank all members of the Friends of Heritage Green, interested members of the community, local businesses, the local media, MP Liz Mcinnes, the three ward councillors, Mike Holly, Jim Gartside and Peter Winkler, council officers and rangers who have assisted with the maintenance and development of Heritage Green and the installation of the marker and anybody else that has helped in any way.”

Chairman of Friends of Norden Jubilee Park and NEEVA, Paul Ellison added: “The Friends group has worked extremely hard over the last few years to register Heritage Green to ensure the field is enjoyed by many local residents, families and children.

“I cannot praise the team enough for their efforts: the stone looks fantastic, and is the start of many great things for the area.”

Following a lengthy journey for Heritage Green to be approved as a village green, the application was unanimously approved in October 2018.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/123164/joy-at-village-green-victory