The government has introduced legislation today that will make it more difficult to block local development via village green applications.

The government claims the measures will close a "loophole" and prevent the system from being "abused".

Village green status protects land that is regularly used for recreation, but the Department for Environment says loopholes in the system have increasingly been abused by people looking to stop local development.

The government claims the new changes could save local authorities £1.3m a year, through avoiding "expensive and time-consuming public enquiries and court cases".

The new rules mean applications relating to land that is regularly used for local recreation will have to be made within a year of the land’s use, rather than two.

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Rural Affairs Minister, Richard Benyon said: "Towns across the country have been held back from getting the developments they want through misuse of the village green system. Rural communities need access to services like healthcare, schools and housing just as much as urban areas. These changes will allow that infrastructure to be built, creating jobs and economic growth."

Stuart Ropke, assistant director of policy and research at the National Housing Federation, said: "Rural communities are some of the hardest hit by the housing crisis. A lack of housing means young people can't stay where they grew up and couples can’t put down roots in their village and raise a family. Local businesses such as pubs and shops, which are already struggling to stay open, face a bleak future.

"Building just a small number of homes will save these vibrant communities in Britain's treasured countryside. Many want new homes, but opponents have often abused the system and attempted to declare available land a village green.

"Closing this loophole will help rural communities get the homes they so desperately need – housing local people, keeping schools and post offices open and helping rural communities to stay alive."

(IT/JP)