A BID to have land in Lowercroft designated as a village green has been turned down.

Campaigners are now in consultation over whether to challenge the result over alleged errors in the decision-making process.

At a meeting of Bury's planning control committee on Tuesday, members voted to turn down the application for protected status.

The Friends of Cockey Moor Whiteheads and Parkers lodges asked Bury Council to register the site south of Gisburn Drive in spring last year.

Landowners Walshaw Estates objected to the request, which would forbid future development on the land, and a public inquiry was heard in November last year.

Inspector Alan Evans gave his verdict last month, stating that the bid failed to satisfy the necessary tests.

He said that Lowercroft could not be deemed "a neighbourhood", and that there was insufficient proof the whole site had been used for leisure purposes over a 20-year period.

At the planning committee meeting, members who called for the report were asked to make a final decision.

They were advised by planning solicitor Deborah Wilkes that recent submissions from the Friends group and the national Open Spaces Society were inadmissible.

The groups had requested a second opinion from an independent barrister but this fell outside the scope of the inquiry, said Ms Wilkes.

Seeking further advice would only undermine the inspector's recommendations and could be deemed "unlawful", she added.

Planning committee chairman Councillor Tony Cummins said: "It seems from the advice that there is very little room for manoeuvre.

Committee member Wilf Davison said: "It was this committee's decision to seek a public inquiry by an inspector in order to provide it with all the evidence and a recommendation.

"I think it would be very wrong indeed for the committee to ignore the recommendation of that inquiry, no matter how much we might not like that recommendation."

The decision to reject village green status by members was unanimous.

Speaking after the meeting, chairman of the Friends group Elaine Shirt claimed there were precedents for councils to seek a second opinion. She said: "We are disappointed and it is a great pity that the local authority did not seek a further opinion from a barrister as we requested, because clearly there are errors in the inspector's report.

"Members of our committee are now in consultation with legal representatives."

Lodges owner Keith Talbot, who wants planning permission for an anglers' car park on the site, welcomed the decision but declined to comment further.

The application is expected to be heard at a meeting of the planning committee on October 12.