FOLLOWING a process which has taken almost three years, campaigners fighting to protect a patch of land in Dursley from development are close to discovering whether it will be made a town green.

The designation would provide additional protections against development which they hope will dissuade further attempts to secure permission to build homes on the site at the foot of Stinchcombe Hill.

Defend Dursley’s Green Escarpment (DDGE), set up in 2013 to oppose an application to build 69 homes on land behind Hardings Drive, has been pursuing formal registration of the land as a town green which would give it legal protections for recreational use.

Members of the action group hope that it would deter future attempts to develop the land, having fought off three previous proposals.

The recommendations of the October public inquiry into the town green application are likely to be available for the meeting of Gloucestershire County Council’s commons and rights of way committee on January 30 when a final decision will be made.

DDGE member Phil Maynard said: “It’s been a very long process and we’re looking forward to a decision finally being made.

“This land is important for the town and it is vital that it is protected.”

Village greens have protected status and are usually areas of land within communities where local people can take part in sports or other pastimes.

These can include organised or ad-hoc games, picnics, fetes and other similar activities.

Town greens can be privately owned.

Some greens can have rights of common over them, meaning that livestock can graze on them.

As part of the application process, it had to be proven that the land had been used recreationally for at least 20 years.

The recommendation of the inspector who presided over the October inquiry is expected to be published in the reports for the meeting of the commons and rights of way committee later this month.

A final decision will then be made by the committee based on the inspector’s report.