AN objection from an organisation which works to protect green spaces for future generations could mean that Corbridge Market Place retains its village green status.

The Open Spaces Society is the only organisation to have raised concerns over the plan to remove the land – which is used as an unofficial free car park in the centre of the village – from the official register of village greens.

As it stands, parish councillors are unable to introduce formal restrictions on its use to ensure a greater turnover of spaces for the benefit of residents, traders and shoppers in the village.

“We were hopeful this would be sorted by now,” said chairman of Corbridge Parish Council, Coun. Maurice Hodgson.

“We’re keen to sort the parking situation out there, but this objection will not help.”

Support from retired solicitor Richard Hart-Jackson and chief officer for the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) Stephen Rickitt has been enlisted to respond to the objection.

“We have to prove that 20 years prior to the Market Place registration in the 1960s, there was no way it could have been used for sports and recreation,” explained Coun. Hodgson.

“So we haven’t given up yet, and hopefully we can make the decision-makers understand that this is not some green space which would be lost.”

The outcome of the application, which has been made to the Secretary of State, is yet to be determined.