CIRENCESTER residents who feared that a beloved green area could be lost forever due to impending developments could be celebrating its survival in the near future.

The grassy area between The Whiteway and Bowling Green Avenue, known colloquially as the Humpty Dumps because of its uneven surface, came under threat after property developed Baylight Properties proposed to build houses on it.

However, earlier in the year more than 100 local residents bounded together to have the Humpty Dumps protected by getting it registered as a village green.

The Friends of the Humpty Dumps group submitted an application to Cirencester Town Council, which owns the land, to discuss at its meeting in June.

Andrew Tubb, chief executive of CTC, said: “The Town Council received a notice from the County Council advising that they had received an application for the registration of village green.

“The Town Council considered the notice at its meeting on June 11 and noted the application with support.”

The Humpty Dumps is eligible to become a village green provided that the land has been used by the local community for informal recreation for at least 20 years.

If village green status is granted the land will be protected by law from any form of development.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire County Council, which is currently processing the bid, said: “As registration authority it's our duty to give all parties involved the chance to put forward their representations before we make a formal decision."