Disused railway should be village green for Llanmorlais

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The community of Llanmorlais, a small village seven miles west of Swansea, could see a strip of disused railway confirmed as their village green after a public inquiry in March.

James Matthews, an Open Spaces Society member, has made the application after villagers completed evidence of their uninterrupted use of the land for 20 years.

We welcome our member’s application for a village green. ‘This will be a fabulous asset for a small community, protecting the disused railway for local people to continue to enjoy for informal recreation,’ says Jay Kynch, our local correspondent in South Wales. ‘What is most important is that local residents used the green, for play and other informal recreation, between 1989 and 2009 without seeking permission. The evidence is accumulating that this was so.’

She adds, “There seems to have been a sad misunderstanding by the Community Council, who wrongly believed that it needed to buy land if it supported people’s use of the green. This is incorrect. Anyone can own or lease a village green – they simply have to allow residents access to the area for village-green activities. Perhaps, if the council joined the OSS it would be better informed.’

Mr Matthews has received letters of support from both Edwina Hart AM and Martin Caton MP.

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