Bradford-owned recreation ground could become protected Leeds village green

An area of recreation land could be declared a “village green” by Leeds City Council - despite being owned by the Bradford taxpayer.

On Thursday, the council will decide whether to push ahead with plans to register a section of Sunnybank Lane Recreation Ground (plot 6) on Bradford Road in Thornbury as a “town or village green.”

The land is owned and maintained by Bradford Council, and the authority had objected to the village green proposal, which would severely limit what the authority could do with the land in the future.

But at a meeting of Leeds Council’s West Plans Panel on Thursday afternoon, members will hear that a decision earlier this year paved the way for the site to be given a protected “village green” status.

It says the “relevant locality” that the green would serve is the Calverley and Farsley ward of Leeds.

Members will decide whether to go ahead with registering the land as a village green at the meeting.

Despite being owned by Bradford Council and having a Bradford address, the site technically lies within the Calverley and Farsley ward boundary.

Town and Village Green status is a legal designation that protects a piece of land for community recreation and sports in perpetuity.

Located on the busy route between Bradford and Leeds, plot 6 of the recreation ground contains sports pitches as well as a changing room.

In June 2019 Kalvinder Malik submitted an application for the site to be protected for public use through a town and village green status, arguing that it had been used informally by residents for decades.

Bradford Council objected to the proposal, arguing that the use of the site by the public was “on the basis of permission.”

An independent inspector, Annabel Graham Paul, was appointed by Leeds Council to look into the issue and hear from residents who say they have used this site regularly.

A public inquiry was held in Leeds in May.

One resident told the inquiry that as well as being used for sports by Bradford University and other groups, residents often used it for dog walking and picnics.

Another said although groups paid Bradford Council to use the site for formal sporting events, informal events also took place, including Asian wrestling matches held without the permission of Bradford Council.

The inspector’s report concluded: “The evidence before me demonstrates that a range of local inhabitants have used Plot 6 for informal recreation. The witnesses include long-term residents, more recent arrivals, persons using the land for varied activities, and a community action group.

“The witnesses describe not only their own use but that of others whom they observe including dog walkers, families, picnickers, children, and persons taking exercise. This is consistent with general community use rather than use by a mere handful of individuals.

“The number of users is sufficient to indicate that the land is in general use by the local community and that such use would reasonably be regarded as the assertion of a public right rather than the private activities of isolated individuals.

“There is no suggestion that any of the informal recreational use of Plot 6 was carried out by force or in the face of opposition from the landowner. None of the witnesses described encountering any attempt by Bradford to prevent or resist their use.

“The Objector (Bradford Council) does not assert that the public’s use of the land has been ‘by right’.

“Rather, that the public lacked a formal right to use the land but have been doing so with the implied permission of the landowner. I reject this argument. The evidence clearly establishes that informal public use took place concurrently with formal sport.”

That report will be presented to members of the plans panel.

The panel will be told: “Registration of land as a town or village green permanently protects it from building development or damage, gives local people a legal right to use it for recreation – particularly lawful sports, games and pastimes – and provides such protections in perpetuity, meaning that they remain even if the private ownership of the land changes.

“The option is either to register the Application Land as a village green in accordance with the Inspector’s recommendation or not so register.

“This is a decision ultimately to be made by Members, but significant weight and regard must be had to the Inspector’s report and recommendation.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted Bradford Council for a comment on the proposals.