A council has gone head-to-head with a boat building firm to take ownership of a field it wants for sporting facilities.
Brundall Parish Council has spent more than 30 years attempting to secure recreational space for the village's growing population.
And with more of the village's remaining fields now being targeted by developers, the parish council has decided to take action. It has requested a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to be made on land north of Berryfields, which is also subject to a planning application.
While the council wants to turn it into a football and cricket pitch for residents, Broom Boats has applied to build 192 homes on the site.
Parish clerk Sharon Smyth said: 'The village has been seeking recreational land for all these years and nothing has changed. We have heard we are in the worst village in Norfolk in terms of our lack of open space for sports. We just don't have any, and for the size of our village it's not acceptable.'
Ms Smyth said the parish council now has more than £790,000 in Section 106 money at its disposal. And if the CPO is successful, she said the funds could be used to build a pavilion, football and cricket pitch on the Berryfields site.
On the parish council's Facebook page, more than 130 people have voiced their support for the plans. It is also hoping to turn part of another field, located east of Brundall Memorial Hall, on Links Avenue, into recreational space.
Plans for the site include a multi-use games area - for five-a-side football and tennis - a war memorial, play area and car park.
Although developer Quantum Group is planning to build 200 homes on the land, a spokesman for the company said: 'We confirm that we will gift a country park and recreation area to the community, subject to a successful planning application outcome.' Broom Boats did not wish to comment.
A spokesman for Broadland District Council, which will consider the CPO request, said: 'We are currently working with Brundall Parish Council to help achieve new recreational provision in the village.
'It has been recognised that Brundall has a low level of recreational land for the number of residents.'
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