In January 1998 a public meeting was held to discuss how Little Somerford could commemorate the Millennium and it was agreed that the land at the crossroads of the village should be officially recognised as a Green. To qualify for a grant from the Millennium Commission the land had to be unencumbered and held in trust by a charity.
This seemed a relatively simple task but it took over a year to discover that the land still belonged to McLean Homes, the developers who had built Vale Leaze in 1967, who kindly conveyed the land free of charge.
Eventually a Declaration of Trust was signed and Little Somerford Millennium Green Trust was formally registered in February 1999. The title of the land is vested in the Official Custodian for Charities and includes a covenant that the land can only be used as a public space and cannot be built upon.
In 2009 it was officially agreed that the Trust would be transferred to the Little Somerford Parish Council which acts as the sole trustee.
The Green has become the place for celebrations such as lunch for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the annual Carols around the Christmas Tree. And tired cyclists can sometimes be seen relaxing on the seats.
MGT 2023 risk assessment can be viewed here
MGT DRAFT Minutes AGM (April 2019)
Charity Commission Annual Return 2016
Little Somerford Millennium Green Trust – Minutes (May 2014)
