A LEGAL row over whether a former Hampshire military camp can be declared a village green has been given its first airing at London’s High Court.
Landowners the Church Commissioners are seeking a ruling preventing Hampshire County Council from considering an application by Barbara Guthrie to register Bushfield Down near Winchester as a green, thwarting their development plans.
The Church Commissioners – who want to develop part of the land, but allow public access to the rest – claim Mrs Guthrie failed to successfully bring her application within a strict time limit after it put up a fence in 2003, and ended a key period of public use of the site.
The application was due to go to a public inquiry before a Government inspector last November, but that is on hold pending the outcome of these proceedings.
The judge has reserved his decision in order to give it in writing.
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