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Residents carry out a clean up of the fields two weeks ago
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Campaigners to fight on
Susannah Wright8/ 5/2008
RESIDENTS fighting to save playing fields from developers have been dealt a hammer blow.
This week an independent inspector refused to back a bid to grant Ryebank Playing Fields village green status, which would protect it from the hands of developers.
The report by QC Vivian Chapman said that residents failed to establish that the Manchester Metropolitan University-owned land had been used by the public for a long enough period of time. This is a key requirement for village green status.
The council could still grant the fields village green status, but MMU could then use the inspector’s report to argue that the ruling should be overturned. Sue Todd, one of the leaders of the Save Ryebank Fields group, said: "I’m greatly disappointed in the report, but we will fight on.
"The land is used by lots of people and the council shouldn’t underestimate the strength of feeling and attachment that people here have for the land."
Sue of Longford Road, added: "We will have to discuss with our solicitors what legal challenge we could issue if the council does go against us, but we will not give up."
After years of trying to stop Manchester Metropolitan University from selling the land for development, the campaign group applied last year to get the land, which borders Longford Park, listed as a village green.
They won the right to an independent inquiry and set about raising more than £10,000 to pay for legal fees and inquiry costs.
Campaigner Paul Patton, also of Longford Road, said: "The fight continues and we will look at every avenue to conserve the use of the land for community use. This is not just about a small group of us campaigning, but there are many people from all over Chorlton and nearby who believe this land should be saved as an open green space."
The report said that the legal requirements for village green status had not been met on two counts.
Firstly, it says the land has not been used ‘as of right’ for 20 years, as it was used by MMU as a sports field until 1996. And secondly, it says that MMU had on several occasions asked residents to stop using the fields, suggesting that the university hadn’t agreed for the land to be automatically open to the public.
A spokesperson for MMU said: "We are encouraged by the independent inspector’s report. It supports the position we have held consistently, that MMU, as landowner, has made it amply clear that public use of the land is unwelcome and contentious.
"We are confident the council will endorse the view of the independent inspector, and protect our legal rights in this matter."
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The area in question is RIGHT BESIDE the huge open green area at the north of Longford Park, and so most of their arguements are fairly unjustified.
It might be nicer to have Ryebank Road joined up again like it used to be, so that you didn't have to go all the way round Oswald Road.
8/05/2008 at 18:15