HOLMES Chapel Parish Council is seeking the views of villagers on a possible bid to have an area of open land given village green protection.

The council is asking people to complete a questionnaire on their use of land off Bramhall Drive which leads into the western end of Dane Meadow through Cottons Woods.

The land is next to Beeston Close and opposite Jodrell Close, and the council is considering submitting a Community Right to Bid or an application for the land to be classified as a village green.

A planning application for a new bungalow on land off Bramhall Drive was refused by Cheshire East Council on February 13. The land earmarked for the bungalow is adjacent to an access to the woodland, along with part of the rear garden to 1 Beeston Close.

The council said: “The proposed development would result in the loss of a parcel of green infrastructure which provides a break in the street scene and access to the Dane Valley Meadow public recreation area."

The application was opposed by the parish council and numerous residents.

Parish clerk Tina Cartlidge said the open land which is the subject of the questionnaire was privately owned, and there was, therefore, always the potential that applications might be made for it to be built on.

She said: “Holmes Chapel Parish Council wishes to apply for a Community Right to Bid, to allow time to negotiate with the landowner to see if it is possible to purchase the land as a community asset.

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“This would save it as a green space for the community of Holmes Chapel. To go through this process the parish council needs to demonstrate this land is an asset and used by the community.”

The deadline for comments on the questionnaire, click here, is March 24.