People who live near a park in Derwentside say they have used an open space earmarked for development as a village green for over a century.

However, following a lengthy campaign, their application to have it registered as a public space is expected to be rejected next week.

Councillors are being advised to reject an application to save open spaces in a north Durham town.

For two-and-a-half years, campaigners in Consett have battled to halt the development of land known as Top of the Park and Blue Heaps.

Developer Strathmore Homes bought the land for housing from Derwentside College in 2002 - part of the old college site - and construction has already begun.

Residents argue both areas, near Blackhill and Consett Park, have been used as public open spaces for decades and applied to have them registered as common land.

Last year, a public inquiry concluded that both applications should be thrown out.

On Tuesday, Durham County Council's licensing, registration and general purposes committee is meeting to discuss the future of the Top of the Park.

The fate of the Blue Heaps site will be decided at a later date, but the council's deputy director of corporate services, Lesley Davies, advised members to reject the application to turn the land into public open spaces.

She said: "Charles George QC, a legal expert in village green matter, was appointed as an inspector to hold a public inquiry.

"The inspector has provided a detailed background and layout of the site and there is detailed information about the history and ownership of the site.

"There is information about the planning status of the site and the inspector sets out the evidence he received at the inquiry and his views about the quality of that evidence.

"I can see no reason for this committee not to follow the advice provided by the inspector in his report."

Under English law, an area that has been used as a local amenity for more than 20 years can be designated as common land.

Residents argue that the Top of the Park was part of Blackhill and Consett Park when it was gifted to the town in 1891 by the Consett Iron Company.

Helen Steadman, 38, of Aynsley Terrace, chairman of Friends of Blue Heaps, said the group would appeal if councillors threw out their application.

She said: "Obviously, we strongly disagree with the reports and the whole neighbourhood has given us letters in support of the application.

"There has been a huge amount of interest in it and people around here will be devastated if our application is rejected. The reason we moved here, three years ago, was because it was so close to the park and the Blue Heaps. Within weeks of moving in, we found out they wanted to build on the land.

"Our campaign has gathered momentum and more and more people are supporting us.

"The land was gifted to the people of Consett for leisure purposes. We do not want a private developer using it to create housing for profit.

"We are always being told our children need more exercise. We want to maintain this open space so we have somewhere they can run and play on."

Strathmore Homes is building 95 executive homes on the former college site, after it won planning permission in 2002. The Top of the Park is expected to become part of that development.

Its group director, Alex Johnston, said: "Charles George QC was the council's recognised legal expert and held a public inquiry.

"He recommended that the application be rejected and we are pleased to note the deputy director of corporate services has also recommended that the application be rejected.

"We look forward to the council's endorsement of the report and the conclusion of the matter."

The decision on the development will be made at Consett Civic Centre on Tuesday at 10.30am.