Campaigners plan celebrations after Ely Common registered as a village green

Campaigners say they are “delighted” that a six-year campaign to have Ely Common officially registered as a village green got the go-ahead today.

Members of Ely Wildspace are planning a day of celebrations on Saturday, with a market stall in the city in the morning, and a walk on the common in the afternoon.

Liz Hunter from Ely Wildspace - formerly the Local Campaign for the Protection of Rural Ely - said: “We are delighted, it has been a long time coming. We are very pleased that the people of Ely now have the legal right to use the common for lawful use and pastimes.”

Ely Wildspace members will serve cakes from Saturday morning’s market stall. They will continued the celebrations on the common at 2.15pm, meeting at the Lisle Lane for a walk before drinks and cake being served at Ely Sailing Club.

The six year campaign to get the land adjacent to Roswell Pits and Prickwillow Road registered with village green status started with an application in 2007, which was rejected two years later.

A second application by Frank Richards, on behalf of the Local Campaign for the Protection of Rural Ely, now called Ely Wildspace, was made in 2010. After a second inquiry, held earlier this year, an inspector said the necessary criteria for the registration had been met.

The land is owned by Jalsea Marine Services and Thomas Parsons Charity, which both objected to the village green application.

A third objection was made by Anthony Isaacson, who lives nearby.