Mobile: 0794 120 1995
An explanation for sightings of surveyors last year.
My thanks to the individual who passed this info to me and who wishes to remain anonymous.
S/he advises that:-
'The bottom (i.e. north/Hilperton Marsh) part of the Gap (all the way across apart from the road slice owned by Persimmon and the Wiltshire Council plot) was sold in May last year for £2.64m to a specially formed outfit, HGT Developments Llp. (could the initials be for Hilperton Gap Trowbridge?). This in turn is owned by two other private companies. The speciality of one these companies seems to be to gamble on greenfield and other difficult development sites.
It is not clear if the Persimmon options over the land that existed in 2014 are still in place – presumably they are and this is what assisted the valuation. Large parts of this parcel are of course flood plain.
The middle and top parts of the Gap are, it would seem, still in the hands of their hereditary owners, i.e. north of Middle Lane is Andrew Matthews and south of it is Lorna Robinson and Andrew Buchanan Notman. The 1.8 acre field next to Albany Close and Fieldways is still owned by Elizabeth Pike (aka Kisielewski).'
If anyone wants to see the title which shows the purchaser and price please contact me. If you wish to search for yourself, the Land Registry reference is WT111588.
So, it would seem that if you have been holding back from applying for village green status or to register one of the many informal footpaths as formal rights-of-way, for fear of upsetting any local land owners, you should submit your applications now as I'm sure that the new owner will be pressing for housing sooner rather than later....