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Preserving 
our Village Green

This is a space dedicated to celebrating, preserving and protecting our registered Owslebury Village Green, also known as the Recreation Ground, for generations to come.  We believe any major development on this land must respect both its legal status and its long-standing role as an open space for recreation and exercise for everyone in the parish.  The habitat that the mature trees and grass provide should be managed and preserved.

 

We endorse the need to improve facilities for sports and recreation, but on a similar scale that has served the village previously.

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This 4 acre space was designated to the village in 1861 as part of the Enclosure Act, in trust, as a place for exercise and recreation for Owslebury and the neighbourhood.  For generations, this beautiful open space in the South Downs National Park has served as a peaceful sanctuary and a local sporting ground, with mature trees offering habitat and welcome shade.  It is a cherished place for cricket, dog walking, quiet reflection and coming together as neighbours.

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As of 14 September 2026, the Parish Council is seeking a lawful way to place a large pavilion, two padel courts, a multi-use court and parking on the green. That layout would require the removal of six mature trees.

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Photo credit: anon parishioner; 17/08/2026

Council approved the request

The Parish Council has reviewed this page and asked for corrections. We will keep publishing information from published packs, minutes and public meetings.

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This site will continue to raise awareness that our precious open space, and protected land, is at risk of development, with the size and scale of the proposal not aligned to what the last known village consultation was (2022).  

Council denied this request

The 109 residents who asked for a consultation with the council, before any more money is spent, was denied.  Instead, information sessions are being offered, after pre application and legal counsel advice.  

 

Here is the letter asking for consultation.

Council approved this

The proposal on the table is a  pavilion, 2 padel courts, parking, access, fencing and charging for access.  The Parish Council makes clear that the present project will NOT proceed without the 2 padel courts, that replace 80+ yr old mature trees.   The final design decision is not yet made, but work and spend continues for preparatory work for this design.  

Council approved this

What the history of the land is, and the trust that determines it's for recreation and exercise, for Owslebury and the neighborhood.  The legal counsel is being asked to define what a neighborhood is and whether that can be Winchester and beyond.

Council approved this

To spend £7,500 on seeking legal counsel without getting 3 quotes to ensure value for money.  28 questions cover how to manage the land, how to make the development lawful and what "better enjoyment" means - such as how to lawfully put padel courts onto the land, switch the part of land with Glebe field.  For the first time, a request is made to lawfully permanently exclude dogs.  Here's the document 

Committee meetings 14th  Sept 2026

What is happening?

Our cherished and protected open space is under threat as are some of the mature, large trees visible from all directions.  To make way for the plan, as part of a "tidy up", trees and hedgerows bordering Baybridge Lane were removed in the nesting season of 2026, leaving a bare and damaged land. 
 
The Parish Council has lodged a pre-planning application to transform the area in a sports hub  however they haven't published what was in the application.

 

They have suggested their CIL application to understand what they may have applied for.  

 

The stated purpose is to "deliver a high-quality sporting and community facility that benefits Owslebury, Winchester, and the surrounding areas. Key outcomes include increased access to year-round football and cricket pitches for local and regional teams, helping to relieve pressure on overstretched facilities elsewhere in Winchester."

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The current proposal includes:
 

  • An expansive new pavilion with dual accessible changing areas, official quarters, and a kitchen

  • community café or shop in the community area and hosting social events, celebrations, and community activities

  • Two padel courts (costs to use and operation times have not been given)

  • One full-sized football pitch alongside two 5-a-side pitches

  • Additional smaller multi-use sporting zones and cricket nets

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​​While enhancing sports facilities in a village is good, creating this large-scale commercial regional hub on a protected Village Green will impact local residents:

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  • The irreversible loss of open, public space, especially if a way is found to exclude dogs.

  • The intensity of commercial operations.

  • Increased traffic on narrow, single-track village lanes.

  • Noise from padel courts and events.

  • Light pollution in the Dark Sky Reserve.

  • Significant structural change to the landscape.

  • Ecological damage, including the felling of many mature trees (over 80 years old).

  • The diminished utility of our current village hall and pub.

  • The unclear ownership and maintenance model, as well as refurbishments.

  • No published business case, to understand liability on residents if the venture fails once built.

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We are calling on our Parish Council to facilitate a transparent, inclusive dialogue with all residents by getting wider representation (from the school, church, business and residents) on the committee, and to clarify, before any more money is spent on:

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  • What mandate has been given for a project of this scale on protected land.

  • How will parishioners access the Village Green.

  • The likely impact on the environment and social impacts (noise, light, traffic, and biodiversity).

  • Funding sources, ownership of venue, and long-term maintenance and sustainability.

  • Financial impact on parishioners at time of a cost of living crisis (increased precept tax and cost to use).

From open green space to a fully developed, commercial sporting hub serving Winchester and the wider region

The scale of the buildings

No plans have been publicly released by the Parish Council, so they were obtained through a Freedom of Information request.  They have now been released to the village in the September 2026 newsletter, which you can find here.  Unfortunately the architects have declined to give copyright permission to share them here.  

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We have asked for confirmation of how big the structures will be on the site (Pavillion, 2 padel courts, MUGA and parking).  In the latest report, the Council have said 9.5% of the field.  

 

However in legal papers prepared by the Parish Council, the structures are significantly large - the pavilion that burned down was about 69sqm. The new pavilion is 216 sqm, and a 61 sqm canopy.  The number of parking spaces has not been provided.   So the building alone is around four times the size of the one it replaces.  There was an old scout hut so advice is being sought as to whether that can be added to sqm.

 

The whole scheme, once you add the padel courts, MUGA and new hardstanding, comes to 1,574 sqm. Roughly twenty-three times the footprint of the old pavilion.

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It takes out mature trees, and the risk to root damage of the remaining mature trees is not noted in the papers. 

Our Vision 

We believe the future of our Village Green should be shaped by the people who live here, and use the space.  Our goal is to ensure this space remains accessible to the locality of Owslebury, as the original founders intended.  We want to work constructively with the community and Parish Council to find a path forward that respects our Village Green heritage, and provides valuable amenities that can be sustained and managed for future generations, to the benefit of Owslebury.  

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Without doubt, the loss of our pavilion in 2022 has curtailed the ability for sporting teams to enjoy the space.  We strongly believe that replacing the pavilion with a modern, similar size and scale to the previous structure would restore facilities for local sports teams, and avoid the many drawbacks of the proposed commercial scheme, while still preserving the legal framework of the space. 

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With the Parish Council's renewed interest in maintaining the open space for sports, there may be opportunities for recreation activities for the older generations, who may not be so interested in organized sports, nor nimble enough to play cricket and football.

Get involved

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