Two councils are locked in a land dispute over who owns the park in a Huntingdonshire town.

Both Godmanchester Town Council and Huntingdonshire District Council are in disagreement over who owns the Godmanchester Recreation Ground, and therefore, who is responsible for ground and maintenance works there. 

A Godmanchester Town Council spokesperson said that they "understood" that the District Council owned the park, and that the Town Council carried out works and functions in the park with permission from the landowner (Huntingdonshire District Council).

However, a spokesperson from Godmanchester Town Council has said that Huntingdonshire District Council "informed" the Town Council that they don't consider themselves to be the owners of the ground - meaning that the park is essentially ownerless.

As a result, Godmanchester Town Council have decided to stop all activities at the park as well as grounds maintenance. This includes grass cutting, bin emptying, working on hanging baskets and refilling dog bag bins.

Their stance is that they're no longer acting with permission from the landowner.

They said: "All such activities must cease until Huntingdonshire District Council accept that they are the landowners, or provide firm evidence that ownership lies elsewhere."

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However, Huntingdonshire District Council rebut the Town Council's view that they are owners of the land.

A spokesperson for the district council said: "Our records and evidence do not confirm that we own the Recreation Ground and we have operated under the clear understanding that the Town Council claimed ownership of the land and managed it on this basis."

They continued: "This is supported by the policies on their website which refer to the Recreation Ground and regulation of its use, granting licences for the use of the land, granting permissions for the siting of memorial benches and trees, and installing and maintaining play equipment. They have also submitted planning applications as a landowner."

Huntingdonshire District Council is "committed" to working with Godmanchester Town Council to resolve the issue, hoping that work at the Recreation Ground will be back up and running again soon.