AN APPLICATION for village green status has been made in a bid to protect Sully Sports Field from future housing developments.

The campaign group ‘Saving Sully’ along with Sully and Lavernock Community Council have submitted the application under the Commons Act 2006 to the registering authority - which in this case is the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

A three day hearing on the application is due to begin on Monday, January 29 at the Vale of Glamorgan Council Dock Offices in Barry.

A plan from Sully Sports and Social Club along with developers St Modwen for 200 houses and new sports facilities were rejected by the Vale council planning committee in November 2016.

Now the group and the community council wants to protect the site from any further housing development and will submit its case on December 15.

The group will call on witnesses to give oral evidence of the usage of the field for individual leisure activities.

Some of the activities covered in the application for Village Green status include dog walking, blackberry picking and kite flying but organised sports activities are not covered.

Layla Attfield from the Saving Sully group said: “We have put in a considerable amount of effort, hard work and preparation in readiness for the hearing. It has taken months of hard work.”

Steve Thomas, the chairman of Saving Sully said: “We have photographs going back years showing people walking, using the tennis courts, swimming in the old pool.

“Our application doesn’t apply to the buildings or the car park. It only applies to the grassy area.”

“We feel we have a strong case.”

Cllr Hunter Jarvie, deputy leader of the council said: “Following the inquiry, the inspector will produce a report recommending whether or not the application should be successful.

“Once this report has been received, the council will make its decision.”