Residents living around Dorchester’s Elizabeth Place play area are to be told that the mystery over who owns the site has been resolved.

There was concern earlier in the year when talks were held about using the green space for affordable housing.

The idea was dropped by Dorchester Town Council after petitions and a stormy meeting.

Residents feared that if the town council did not own the site, someone else might try and develop it.

Town clerk Adrian Stuart has now solved the riddle of ownership. He told the town council’s policy committee on Tuesday evening (15) that it had been officially transferred from a housing association in 2001 to the town council, but the switch of ownership was not officially notified to the Land Registry.

Mr Stuart said that despite the error the council's ownership was valid and it had since pledged not to develop it, or other playing areas it owns, for housing.

Mayor Susie Hosford welcomed the news: “It gives certainty to the residents in the area. Some of them were worried about what might happen,” she said.

The council will now write to any residents it has been in correspondence with and to local ward councillors, explaining the position. A letter will also be put up on the play area notice board.