New ‘village green’ created after 300 residents fought to protect it

Agricultural land on the outskirts of Bolton has been designated a ‘village green’ which protects it from future developments. Bolton Council’s licensing committee agreed with more than 300 petitioners that the status Horrock’s Fields as a village green was justified as the land had been used by locals for a range of recreational activities ‘as of right’ for more than 20 years.

In a semi-rural area north of Bolton, Horrocks Fields is between Belmont Road and Gleaves Reservoir, below Horrocks Fold and next to Templecombe Drive in the Astley Bridge ward. The land, popular with walkers, is privately owned but a group called the Friends of Horrocks Fields applied to designate the land as a town or village green.

The fields contain several public footpaths and other informal ones and the debate centred on whether the areas away from the paths were regularly used for recreation by the community for more than 20 years.

The designation adds protections on whether the land can be identified for potential development in the planning system. A meeting of the licensing committee at Bolton town hall heard that a three-day barrister led hearing had been conducted last year.

Martin Carter was appointed to hold the non-statutory public inquiry where witnesses both for and against the application were questioned and cross-examined. Mr Carter’s report to the committee said: “My recommendation is that the application should be refused for the single reason that the overwhelming use of the site was use of the definitive and informal paths as a means of walking from one place to another or within the site.”

However, councillors ignored the recommendation and voted eight to one to approve the Friends of Horrocks Fields’ application.

Bromley