AN APPLICATION for an area of land in Cwmbran to be given village green status has been rejected by Torfaen councillors.

Llantarnam resident Linda Joseph had applied for land known locally as “The Field” in Oakfield, Cwmbran, to be added to the council’s register of town or village greens.

If it had been successful, it would have put restrictions on any possible future developments at the site.

A village green application can be granted if it is found a “significant number of the inhabitants of any locality, or of any neighbourhood within a locality, have indulged as of right in lawful sports and pastimes on the land for a period of at least 20 years.”

The land by Court Farm and Brangwyn Avenue, located at the back of Gainsborough Close and next to Oakfield Community Centre is owned by Bron Afon Community Housing (BACH) which objected to the application.

Support for the land to be protected as a green space for children to play was provided by Play Service manager for Torfaen council Julian Davenne and the charity Play Wales.

But an independent inspector’s report on the issue recommended the application is rejected.

The inspector said the application does not meet the criteria for village green status as the user of the land has been “by right” and not “as of right.”

At a licensing sub-committee meeting on Wednesday, councillors followed the recommendation of the inspector.

Chairwoman of the committee, Cllr Norma Parrish, said it was with a “heavy heart” that she passed over to the committee’s legal adviser, Justine Cass, to announce the decision.

Speaking afterwards, Ms Joseph said residents would continue to fight any future development on the site.

She said: “Llantarnam has had enough of developments now.

“We had big areas of open fields which are disappearing under concrete.

“There are ecological impacts too.”

Ms Joseph added she felt the “legal premise” for deciding the application was wrong, adding she was disappointed councillors had favoured the legal argument over the “moral” one.

BACH submitted plans to build 14 homes on land off Brangwyn Avenue which was rejected by Torfaen council last year.

The council’s decision notice stated: “The proposed development exacerbates a deficiency of open space locally and adversely affects the overall function and integrity of this valuable local open space to the detriment of the future health and well-being of local residents, biodiversity connectivity and the visual amenities of the area.”

But last month BACH lodged an appeal against the decision.

It argues the development will not result in a “loss of informal recreational open space” in the Llantarnam ward.

BACH argued the land was bought as “recreational space” in the 1950s as part of the development of the new town of Cwmbran.

It said the land has remained as public recreational space, alongside housing, under housing laws until it became the owner in 2008.