Recreational space funded by Bradford residents may receive protected status for the benefit of a neighbouring city ward.
Leeds City Council is set to consider an application to designate a portion of Sunnybank Lane Recreation Ground as a town or village green at a meeting of its West Plans Panel.
The site in question, designated as plot 6 and situated on Bradford Road in Thornbury, falls within the Calverley and Farsley ward despite bearing a Bradford postal address.
Ownership and maintenance of the land rest with Bradford Council, which had opposed the village green designation due to concerns about restricting future use of the property.
A determination made earlier in the year created conditions for the land to potentially receive protected status.
The proposed designation would serve the recreational needs of the Calverley and Farsley ward.
Council members will consider whether to proceed with registration at Thursday’s gathering.
Town and Village Green classification constitutes a legal mechanism that safeguards land for community leisure and sporting activities indefinitely.
Plot 6 of the recreation ground, positioned along the busy corridor connecting the two cities, features sports fields and changing facilities.
In June 2019, Kalvinder Malik lodged an application seeking protection for the site through town and village green designation, contending that local residents had utilised the space informally for numerous years.
Bradford Council submitted an objection, maintaining that public access occurred only through implied consent.
Leeds Council appointed independent inspector Annabel Graham Paul to investigate and gather testimony from community members claiming regular use of the location.
A public hearing took place in Leeds during May.
Evidence presented to the inquiry included accounts of utilisation by Bradford University and various organisations for sporting purposes, while residents frequently accessed the grounds for dog walking and outdoor meals.
Testimony indicated that although organisations paid Bradford Council for organised sporting activities, informal gatherings also occurred, including Asian wrestling competitions held without the council’s approval.
The inspector’s findings established that numerous local residents had engaged in informal recreational activities on plot 6.
Testimony came from long-established residents, newer arrivals, individuals pursuing diverse activities, and community groups.
Witnesses described not only their own usage but also observed usage by dog walkers, families, picnickers, children, and those exercising.
This pattern aligned with widespread community engagement rather than isolated individual use.
The inspector determined that sufficient users indicated general community use, reasonably constituting assertion of a public right rather than private activities by a few.
No informal recreational use was conducted forcefully or against the landowner’s opposition.
Witnesses reported no attempts by Bradford to prevent or restrict their access.
Bradford Council did not claim public use occurred by right, instead asserting the public lacked formal permission but had used the land with implied consent.
The inspector rejected this argument, concluding evidence clearly established informal public use alongside formal sporting activities.
Panel members will receive the inspector’s recommendation.
The report indicates that registering land as a town or village green provides permanent protection from development or damage, establishes community legal rights to use the space for recreation including lawful sports and pastimes, and ensures such protections continue regardless of future ownership changes.
The panel must choose between registering the land in line with the inspector’s recommendation or declining to do so.
While the decision ultimately rests with members, substantial weight must be given to the inspector’s findings.