Agenda item

4.1

The Chief Licensing Officer submitted a report to consider an application to register land known as “Lower Walkley Green”, Sheffield, made under Section 15 of the Commons Act 2006, as a Town or Village Green.

4.2

Present at the meeting were Councillor Neale Gibson, Kate Jeeves and Phil Walker (Applicants), Shimla Finch (Licensing Strategy and Policy Officer and Clerk to the Registration Authority), Louise Bate (Solicitor to the Sub-Committee (Commons Registration)) and Jennie Skiba (Democratic Services).

4.3

The Chair outlined the procedure which would be followed during the hearing and stated that the Sub-Committee (Commons Registration) would be considering how the application should be progressed by either with or without a non-statutory public inquiry.

4.4

Kate Jeeves stated that she would like to see the land protected because, over a number of years, it had been under threat several times by developers wishing to build on it.  She had carried out extensive searches to determine who owned the land but her efforts had proven been unsuccessful.  She had established that many years ago the land had been used for grazing and added that since the application was made, local residents had become more aware of the land and how lovely it was, being a safe place for children to play.

4.5

Phil Walker stated that, over the years, a few businessmen had tried to claim the land and there had been a long battle to retain the right of way over the land before it was registered, and he felt that the application was necessary to protect the land for “village green” purposes.

4.6

In response to questions from Members of the Sub-Committee, Kate Jeeves and Phil Walker stated that they would arrange for as many people to speak on behalf of the application as was necessary.

4.7

Louise Bate stated that the applicants could submit as many statements as they wanted and the purpose of this hearing was for the Sub-Committee to decide whether the matter should be determined with or without a non-statutory public inquiry.

4.8

RESOLVED: That the public and press and attendees involved in the application be excluded from the meeting before further discussion takes place on the grounds that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, if those persons were present, there would be a disclosure to them of exempt information as described in paragraph 5 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

4.9

Louise Bate reported orally, giving legal advice on various aspects of the application.

4.10

At this stage in the proceedings, the meeting was re-opened to the public and press and attendees.

4.11

RESOLVED: That, in the light of the information contained in the report now submitted, the application to register land known as “Lower Walkley Green”, Sheffield, as a Town or Village Green, be progressed to a meeting of the Licensing Sub-Committee (Commons Registration) to be held as soon as possible.