As widely predicted, Somerset County Council has rejected the application for town green status for the Brewery Field. This was the position as recommended by the inspector who looked at the case at a hearing in Bridgwater earlier this year.

Bridgwater Labour councillor Ian Tucker, who attended the meeting, said, “The application was basically rejected on a technicality due to an order by SDC in the 90’s to prevent dog fouling.”

Bye law technicality unticks campaigners boxes

Westover resident, Tricia Walsh, one of the two applicants and Bridgwater Forward member summed up the meeting, “As you will see from the notice sent today at 4.15pm the application to register the Brewery Field as a town green was rejected. It was a byelaw about dog fouling, simultaneously applied to several green spaces in Bridgwater, Highbridge & Burnham in 1994 that was considered as the only absolute proof of Sedgemoor’s governance of the Brewery Field and thereby allowing the public to use it ‘by right’ i.e. with implied permission rather than ‘as of right’. The end the verdict was a very close run affair. The Inspector’s work was thoroughly carried out with further applicant’s maps accepted as proof of the Brewery Field’s ‘Northgate and Docks neighborhood being within the locality of the Town of Bridgwater whose boundaries have remained constant for the qualifying 20 year period. This has been a long, complex and exacting task and the result, though not a complete success, is still a good one, the best we could get with four out of the five criteria accepted. All those who filled in evidence questionnaires will have a copy of the notice and an explanation of this outcome as well as our thanks” Continue reading “Town Green Bid for Brewery Field Rejected by County”