AN APPLICATION for village green status has been made for Sully Sports Field to protect it 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 is the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

A hearing on the application is due to begin on Monday, January 29 and is listed for a three day hearing 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.

There was opposition to the plans since the proposals were announced by Sully Sports and Social Club in August 2015.

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.

A total of 80 residents have provided evidence that they have been using the lands for a minimum of 20 years with some providing evidence from as far back as 40 years ago.

The group will call on 20 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.

The applicants have had a barrister appointed to represent them at the three day hearing where the sports club and developers St Modwen will also case objecting to the status being granted.

An inspector will hear the case and will have to be satisfied that the site has been used in such a way and unfettered for at least 20 years.

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."

He also stressed that it would remain the Sully Sports and Social Club's land and that they would not lose out if the approval was given.

He stressed that the status would only prevent housing being built on the site thus protecting the green space for the benefit of the village.

"It's about protecting that land," he said.

The inspector will then prepare a report and recommend either to register the land as a Village Green or not.

Cllr Hunter Jarvie, deputy leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council and cabinet member for regulatory and legal services said: "We received an application from Sully and Lavernock Community Council and the Saving Sully Group to make the sports field a village green in August 2016 and a notice appeared in the Penarth Times on September 29 of that year.

"The council subsequently received a joint objection to the application from the owners of the land, St Modwen Developments Limited and Barry Plastics Sports and Leisure Company.

"An independent inspector has since been appointed to hold a non-statutory public inquiry.

"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."