A fresh bid has been launched to protect an area of open space in King's Lynn for future generations.

Harding's Pits Community Association has applied to Norfolk County Council for registration of the five acre Harding's Pits Doorstep Green, close to the town centre, as a new village green.

Rick Morrish, vice-chairman of the association, says the application has been made necessary by the need to deter any future threat of building development on the Green.

'A similar application was made some years ago by the association but was turned down. Since then, the law has been changed and we now feel that we have a very strong case for registration,' he said.

'The present application is based on the use of the land by what the Commons Act 2006 calls 'a significant number' of local people who have 'indulged as of right in lawful sports and pastimes on the land for a period of 20 years and continue to do so at the date of the application.'

Mr Morrish said the pits met the requirement, because people from South Lynn, the Friars area and the Hillington Square estate – have been using the Green for a wide variety of recreational purposes for far, far longer than 20 years. There has never been any attempt to prevent them from doing so.

'The Green continues to be very extensively used and very much appreciated by local people,' he said.