The Parish Council has only just been made aware that Oxfordshire County Council is running a public consultation on two applications to give village green status to fields next to Day’s Lock.
The applications were made to the county council after a new owner bought some of the land in that area in 2016. Locals said they had used the fields and played sports on them for at least two decades and wanted to be able to carry on doing so.
The applications are for two areas of land. One, which it calls “Day’s Lock”, is a 2.37 hectare portion of land on the banks of the Thames by the lock. The other is a 3.03 hectare plot at nearby Dyke Hills.
In the official application notice on its website, the county council states that both bits of land are “claimed to have qualified for registration as a Town or Village Green on 1st November 2016 by virtue of use by inhabitants of the Parish of Dorchester-on-Thames and the Parish of Long Wittenham for lawful sports and pastimes as of right for a period of more than 20 years up to the date specified in the application”.
The consultation closes on Friday 25th January and residents are urged to comment.
View the full application and the consultation at:
https://consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/consult.ti/DorchesterTVGconsultations/consultationHome
Send your comments to Lisa Gray at countrysiderecords@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Can anyone explain the implications of this for walkers? Dog owners? Would it affect the right of way to Dorchester?
The applications refers to locals using this area for recreational purposes for at least two decades. I would say it is at least four decades, we used to take our children there for picnics and games in the late 1970s and 1980s. The action of the new lamndowner is quite disgraceful and anti-social.
Do you mean the new owners are trying to stop people walking on the field on the Dorchester side of Day’s Lock? Last time I walked from Little Wittenham to Dorchester there was already an enclosed pathway across the field. Fait acompli??
Anyone who has used these areas for sports & pastimes more than 20 years ago should advise Lisa Gray accordingly by Friday.
Hi Liz, The Rights of Way have been fenced so that you are still able to use the designated paths but not the adjacent land. If you, like us, have been used to using the fields for dogs, games, picnics, learning to ride bikes, sitting on the river bank watching boats go through the lock, etc then please support the application by writing asap to the County Officer as above.
David Similarly, please send you comments on how, and for how long , you have used the fields as the more weight we can establish the better. Reference to your present role in your comments will also be helpful!
Steve Brown
I shall certainly be contacting Lisa Gray and backing the attempt to restore this land as a Village Green. When my children were young back in the early 1980’s we spent many relaxing afternoons with friends having picnics by the river near Days Lock. Since that time it has been lovely to walk along the river bank there and sit and watch the boats go by. By fencing so close to the water’s edge the new owner of the land has prevented this from being an on-going wonderful village facility.
My parents regularly took me on picnics in both these areas more than 40 years ago. My father sadly now deceased was born and bought up in Dorchester and played there in his youth.