• Moors Meadow, Goodrich adjoins Goodrich Primary School site which is owned by Herefordshire Council and is leased to G&WBPC under a 25 year lease from 15.09.2009.
• The land is situated in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and in Goodrich Conservation Area and is designated as public open space
• Under the lease the land is maintained and managed by G&WBPC and is used by the local community for leisure and recreational activities.
• G&WBPC wish to invest in improving the amenity of the land and protect it for indefinite use by the local community and have thus requested that the freehold in the land is transferred to them.
• The original request goes back many years and discussions have been on-going since at least 2016 during which agreement was previously reached that the land would transfer to G&WBPC. The transfer stalled and they have reapplied under the provisions of the council’s CAT policy
• Most of the land is unsuitable for future development as it is steeply sloping and G&WBPC have agreed that any part of the site which is required for future expansion of the school will be transferred back at nominal value.
• The application is supported by Goodrich Primary school and by expressions of support from local residents who wish the land to be retained and protected for use by the local community and believe this is best achieved by the outright ownership of the commons being vested in the Parish Council
• Public open space is valued at nominal values for the purposes of asset valuations
• The application was considered by the council’s CAT evaluation panel which recommended in principle that the transfer proceed at nominal consideration
• A transfer of the land to G&WBPC would contain a covenant restricting its future use to public open space and provide for clawback in the event it ceases to be used for such purposes and would be on the basis that the Council’s legal and other costs in the matter are paid for by