THE ongoing fight to save Markham and Little Francis town green in Weymouth from development has been given a £5,000 boost.

The money was handed over to committee members of the Society for the Protection of Markham and Little Francis by the Open Spaces Society charity.

Campaigners are hoping to hear soon the outcome of a legal case brought before the High Court earlier this year to determine whether developers Betterment Properties will be allowed to build on the land.

Campaign leader Gill Taylor said: “This is one of several very large donations we have had recently, with the others coming as donations from individuals in the community.

“We are now in a position to pay the majority of our legal fees.

“We will still be fundraising to pay off the remaining costs from the case and also to start addressing some of the other aims of our organisation, for example sponsoring bins.”

The general secretary of the Open Spaces Society Kate Ashbrook said: “We were delighted to assist the campaigners in this landmark case.

“It is important that local people should be able to defend their green spaces, in the courts if necessary, even though it is costly.

“The Society for the Protection of Markham and Little Francis has worked incredibly hard and deserves to win.

“Victory is important, not only for this lovely green space, but for green spaces everywhere.

“We must send a clear message to the land grabbers to keep off.”

The court case to determine the future of Markham and Little Francis was heard at Weymouth County Court earlier this year.

It began with George Laurence QC, representing Betterment Properties, telling Mr Justice Paul Morgan of the Chancery Division that the case had become ‘something of a cause celebre locally’.

The court was told that Betterment bought the land in 2004 with the intention of developing it.

Mr Laurence conceded that that the four most recent similar cases to have been heard in Britain had gone in favour of the public.

The court was told there was a precedent for work on the land after Wessex Water installed drainage there between 1979 and 1982, adding that the work sites had been fenced off to prevent members of the public accessing parts of the fields.

Mr Laurence told Mr Justice Morgan that his determination on the legal definition of the term ‘locality’ in the case could set a legal precedent that will influence future hearings of a similar nature.