Market Deeping residents fight for field's village green status

Residents say Mill Field, in Market Deeping, has been used recreationally for more than 130 years

Campaigners fighting to register a Lincolnshire field as a village green say they are prepared for a lengthy legal battle to try to protect it.

The county council wants to build 260 homes on Mill Field in Market Deeping.

A village green status would help prevent the land from being developed.

But an application to the authority for the designation was rejected on Monday. The Friends of Mill Field said it would appeal the decision and take its fight to "the Supreme Court".

Lincolnshire County Council, which owns the 32-acre (13.7 hectares) site, has submitted a planning application to South Kesteven District Council.

But residents have said the field has been used recreationally for more than 130 years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Lincolnshire County Council has submitted a planning application to build 260 homes on the site

The authority's planning inspector rejected the village green application because it was a private agricultural field, which has a public footpath through the land, despite the owners allowing an annual two-day agricultural show to take place.

Pam Steel, from Friends of Mill Field, said: "I would say we've been using the land that hasn't been used, only for the Deepings Show, the rest of the time it's just a meadow.

"People haven't destroyed it in any way, they've just used it and appreciated the natural beauty.

"We can appeal. Sometimes it takes two or three goes to get a village green passed. The last chance is at the Supreme Court."

Council leader Martin Hill said: "There is plenty of open spaces all around Market Deeping, so I'm quite comfortable that we are doing our bit to supply the housing need for the people of Lincolnshire."