THE campaign to register Bushfield Camp in Winchester as a village green has cleared another hurdle.

A legal hearing took place in March where the Church Commissioners, who own the site, tried to strike out the bid.

Campaigners heard this week that the move had failed, clearing the path for a full inquiry into the plan.

If approved, the village green status would give much greater protection to the downland south of Winchester.

It would also make it harder for the Church Commissioners to sell all or part of the land to developers.

The site has been popular with ramblers and dog walkers ever since the Bushfield Camp army base closed in the 1970s.

Since then, it has been linked with supermarkets, housing, and more recently a ‘Knowledge Park’ for hi-tech firms.

It is listed as an ‘opportunity site’ in Winchester’s draft 20-year district masterplan and parts of the land were fenced off in 2003.

To qualify as a village green, access must be unrestricted for 20 years.

Bushfield Down Supporters Group argues that it was for at least two decades before the fences appeared.

As a result, it launched its bid to register the land, which came before Leslie Blohm QC for a preliminary hearing in March.

He has now decided that the matter should proceed to a full two-week hearing in Winchester.

Barbara Guthrie of Bushfield Down Supporters Group said: “The date has been set for June 18th but that gives us very little time to prepare our evidence. We are very pleased that the inspector found in our favour.”