Nailsea Town Council seeks to protect land at The Perrings, Nailsea against future development

The Town Council has made the decision to seek Town Green status for the land to the immediate south of the housing estate known locally as The Perrings.  The land has been an informal public open space for decades and even features play equipment installed by North Somerset Council. The Town Council will take steps to register it under the Commons Act 2006 section 15 England as a Town Green, which will protect it against future development. Town Greens receive a considerable amount of statutory protection under law, but in the main it becomes a criminal offence to undertake any act which interrupts the use or enjoyment of a green as a place of exercise and recreation. The land will remain in the ownership of its current owners.

The Town Council needs to be able to prove the land has been in use by the community (young and old alike) over a 20-year period and that over that period it has been used for lawful sports and pastimes, for example; children playing, dog walking, picking blackberries, playing football and picnicking. The Town Clerk Jo Duffy said “we are inviting residents to complete a questionnaire which can be downloaded here  or hard copies can be picked up from the Tithe Barn, Church Lane or No.65 High Street, Nailsea. We also welcome written statements and photographs of the land in use with completed evidence forms”. All completed evidence forms should be returned to the Town Council by Friday 7 February 2020.

Once the Town Council has gathered the completed evidence forms they will be submitted to North Somerset Council as the Registration Authority. North Somerset Council will consider the application and then make the decision on whether it is acceptable. If it is accepted the land will be registered as a Town Green.

Nailsea Town Council can be contacted at the Tithe Barn, Church Lane, Nailsea, BS48 4NG, Tel: 01275 855277 or via clerk@nailseatowncouncil.gov.uk.