Friends of Mill Field

ABOUT MILL FIELD

Mill Field is an area of 11 hectares of green field in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, bordered by mature hedgerows and trees, and along one side by Millfield Road, the last rural lane in Market Deeping. A public footpath runs across Mill Field.

From 1882 the Oddfellows charity held annual Sports and Gala events on Mill Field and between the two World Wars, local football matches were held there. From 1956-2013 The Deepings Agricultural Show took place on Mill Field. Both Mill Field and Millfield Road are regularly used by local residents for informal recreation as the area offers an oasis of countryside.

ABOUT US

The Friends of Mill Field want to preserve Mill Field as an informal open green space so that it is available for recreational use for present and future generations.

Mill Field is owned by Lincolnshire County Council (LCC).

In 2017 we applied for Village Green status but we failed because paying to get in to the Agricultural Show meant that we had not used the land “as of right”. The final decision about the Village Green application rested with LCC and they opted to refuse it.

In 2021 the Deepings Neighbourhood Plan group proposed Millfield Road as a Green Lane and this was accepted.

They also put forward Mill Field as a Local Green Space, but this was rejected because “ it was not significant “for local residents (as if we hadn’t proved this enough!). It was “too big” (although many other towns have as large and even larger Local Green Spaces) and South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) said “it could not last until the end of the Plan” without being built on (as if there were no other sites but Mill Field!).

In February 2024 SKDC included Mill Field as a proposed site for development in their review of the draft Local Plan. Building hundreds of houses on Mill Field would totally destroy the character and setting of the area and have a huge negative impact on the quality of life of residents. Our MP, Sir John Hayes, has sent us a proforma for a petition which he will, in due course, present to Parliament so that the voice of the people will be heard.

Please join the Friends of Mill Field by simply clicking on the green box on the left.