Bid to make wood green (From Stroud News and Journal)

Bid to make wood green

AN UNUSUAL bid has been launched to stop further development on a wood where planning permission to build more homes already exists.

Simon Green, a chartered surveyor from Bussage, hopes to gather enough evidence to prove that Frith Wood should be designated a village green.

He does not want to see the trees in the 22 acre wood at Bussage chopped down to make way for a traditional village green but instead use common land legislation to prevent further housing development there.

Mr Green told the News & Journal that the land is owned by Robert Hitchins Ltd, which has developed more than 200 acres of land into what has become known as Manor Farm.

The wood is a popular haunt for people of all ages who walk, exercise their dogs and ride bikes there and Mr Green believes it should be saved from development.

"A right exists to have land designated as a village green which is the same as community land," he said. "If that is the case, then it would overrule the planning permission."

For more, see this week's SNJ