Thornaugh land is granted village green status

A “publicly-spirited” landowner has been commended for helping to establish a new village green.

Martin Witherington’s “rather unusual” application to grant land in Thornhaugh official village green status was approved by Peterborough City Council this week.

It means the 900 square metre plot of land just east of Leicester Road will be protected from future development and that people may “indulge in sports and pastimes over it on a permanent basis”.

Speaking at the meeting, Coun Peter Hiller (Con) told Mr Witherington that his application was “publicly-spirited” and “absolutely commendable”.

“I was wondering if you’d care to come and live in my village,” he added.

Coun Dennis Jones (Lab) agreed that the application represented “one of the joys of being on the planning committee”.

Mr Witherington told councillors how he came to own the land and about his ambition to make it part of a walking route.

He said: “This area once belonged to the Thornhaugh Estate, which was lost by the Marquess of Exeter to Stanley Brotherhood in 1931. Having gained it, he then sold it off in an auction.”

Some remnants of it fell into the ownership of a man related to a former resident of the area.

“I got to know the guy and he agreed that he would give me this land and expand it into the land he owned to the east,” he said.

This will make up the new green, but it will also contribute to his longer-term plan to create a footpath between the cottages on Home Farm on Leicester Road with Thornhaugh Village to the benefit of walkers.

Mr Witterington told the committee how he persuaded the owner of nearby fields to include some of their land and apple trees from a “historic orchard” on the route.