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# Land in Lichfield secured for residents after village green approval
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/land-in-lichfield-secured-for-residents-after-village-green-approval/
- Published: 2012-11-14T09:30:12.000Z
- Updated: 2012-11-13T13:56:13.000Z
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 21:41, News

[![The land at Wordsworth Close](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photo-3-wordsworth-close.jpg "Photo-3-Wordsworth-Close")](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/?attachment%5Fid=120260)

The land at Wordsworth Close

A long-running battle to have an area of land in Lichfield designated as a village green has finally been resolved.

The open space at Wordsworth Close will be preserved after Staffordshire County Council’s Countryside and Rights of Way Panel approved the application by Lichfield City Council.

The agreement to to give the land village green status means that it cannot be built on in future and will be secured for local residents to use for recreational purposes.

“This has been a long and complex legal battle”, said Town Clerk Peter Young. “I am delighted that this important piece of open space has at last been preserved for public use.”

The site was bought by Lichfield City Council in the 1960’s when it was the Wyrley and Essington Canal.

The waterway was filled in and turned into a public open space, although a small strip of land remained in private ownership. Following a sale at auction, the council – which had maintained both its own and the neighbouring land – applied in September 2009 to ensure the land would still be available for local residents.

[![Locals enjoy a game of skittles on the land in years gone by](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/photo-1-wordsworth-close.jpg "Photo-1-Wordsworth-Close")](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/?attachment%5Fid=120261)

Locals enjoy a game of skittles on the land in years gone by

Despite the village green status application being supported by local residents who outlined the community use of the land for more than 20 years, a developer submitted plans to build four houses on the site in April this year.

However, the City Council and the residents have now prevented such building work and preserved the land for future generations.

“I would particularly wish to thank the local residents for their strong support and their considerable effort in obtaining the various witness statements and old photographs, which proved that the land had been used for sports and pastimes since the 1960’s,” added Peter Young.

The land at Wordsworth Close may be one of the last village greens to be registered as the Government’s new Growth and Infrastructure Bill will make it difficult for any new sites to be created in future.