A SMALL rural village is set to lose its village green so that a super-rich landowner can use it for pheasant shooting.

Llanelidan Community Council has started the process of swapping the piece of land – which has been a village green since the reign of Queen Victoria in the 19th century – with a Nantclwd Estate-owned plot in the village.

Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland, who inherited the Estate with a title 30 years ago, has an estimated fortune of more than £160m.

The community council says it can’t afford the legal fees that it would have to pay to fight the move. They’ve also said that local taxes might have to be increased to pay for the upkeep of the land.

Sir Philip’s agents say the Estate is trying to work with the village to create a new village green “fit for use by local residents”.

But residents are not happy about the planned swap.

Rhian Davey said she was determined to fight any changes. She said: “It is a spectacular bluebell wood for our children and grandchildren to be able to play in, unhindered, and say, ‘this is ours’.

“This would be a legacy that Llanelidan should be proud of.”

Mrs Davey has also referred the community council to the Public Services Ombudsman over the way it has handled the issue, adding: “Freehold title must be returned to the Llanelidan community and our green should be reinstated and embraced as a publicly-owned community space that enhances the environment and the lives of the people that live in and around Llanelidan.”

At a meeting in September the Llanelidan Community Council decided not to publish the legal advice it had received on the matter.

Now  a consultation has been opened on what the council should do about the land.

The three-acre parcel of land has been registered with possessory title to Sir Philip, and it is unclear, according to the council, who actually owns the land.

According to the consultation the Estate would use the land for its shoot.

Llanelidan county councillor and member of the community council, Hugh Evans, said: “We have gone for a consultation based on the legal advice we have received, based on a meeting with the Nantclwyd Estate and also based on the issues raised regularly with the community council.

“We need to understand from the community what their hopes and aspirations are for the village green.”

William Shuttleworth, an agent acting on behalf of the Estate, said: “The Nantclwyd Estate is keen to work closely with the Llanelidan community council and residents of Llanelidan to secure a satisfactory long term solution for the village green.

“The current village green  is sited over three quarters of mile from the village with poor access along narrow country lanes. It is a wooded area so cannot be used for playing games and is unsuitable and unsafe for use by children.

“The Estate has offered an alternative site close to the village centre which can be easily accessed and can be safely used as a recreation area by residents and children.

“The Estate is actively working with local residents to secure a village green that is fit and safe for use by local residents in the 21st century.”

Sir Philip, who spends most of his time at his East Anglia home, inherited the Nantclwyd Estate along with the title of 4th baronet Naylor-Leyland of Hyde Park House, Albert Gate, London, in 1987.

He went to Eton College, then Sandhurst, and later business school in New York.