PERMISSION is being sought to bring back a much-loved green space back into community use as a conservation group prepares a potential legal challenge to development on the site.

Evergreen Field, adjacent to Christchurch Green in High Street, Wanstead, has been fenced off for 15 years and was recently sold for £200,000 to Dalco Developments, which hopes to build homes and shops on the site.

But now the Wanstead Society, which was formed to challenge a previous attempt to build on the land, has submitted a planning application for four possible uses of the site.

The group suggests in could be used as a community orchard, or similar area to grow produce, opened up and left as a natural meadow, or as an extension of Christchurch Green.

Planning law does not prevent people who do not own land or buildings from seeking permission for proposed uses.

The Wanstead Society has confirmed it has submitted the application in preparation for a potential future challenge to housing proposals.

And vice chairwoman Eileen Flinter hopes the space could be turned into somewhere future generations could use for years to come.

She said: "Although Wanstead is in a green area, it is forest green and not a place for youngsters to hang out.

"What we need is to make Wanstead a destination shopping area. People keep talking about the death of the high street, so why do we need more shops?

"I think we just need to present people with a real alternative in case the developer does put in an application for residential use."

Society spokesman Geoff Horsnell added: "The reason we put in the application was not because we can do anything with it but to show that there are alternative uses for the land.

In response Director of Dalco Developments, Dalbir Singh Sanger, said: "I have told the Wanstead Society I am happy to talk to them about using part of the land for open space, providing that part of it can be developed on to make it financially viable.

"There is enough open land in Wanstead already.

"At the end of the day we are happy to work with local people." The site is protected under Redbridge Council's open space policy, which means it can only be used for leisure purposes.

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