THE historical use of two sites residents are fighting to have declared village greens was hotly disputed at the opening of a public inquiry yesterday.

Campaigners who want to save the Blue Heaps and Top of the Park, in Consett, from developers, argued the land had been used by the community for several leisure pursuits over the decades.

But solicitors for Strathmore Homes, which bought the land as part of a package from Derwentside College with the former college site at Aynsley Terrace, said any use of the land was trivial and sporadic.

The inquiry, in Consett, which is expected to last until Thursday, will make a recommendation to Durham County Council on the future of the sites.

Strathmore won planning permission to build 90 executive homes on the former college site in 2002, but withdrew proposals to build 13 more on the Blue Heaps in the face of public opposition.

Under English law, an area that has been used as a local amenity for more than 20 years can be designated as common land.

Resident Helen Steadman, who made the application for such a designation, said she had gathered evidence from 80 people who regularly used the sites between September 1982 and 2002.

Among the activities listed were children's adventure games, blackberry picking, nature walks, dog walks, picnicing, camping, and horse-riding.

Campaigners said the use had never been interrupted and that no permission had ever been needed.

Resident Greg Coltman, 29, said he had played on both sites almost every day after school and later used them for nature observation.

Lay magistrate Diane Stobbart said she and her children had used the sites since the 1940s.

Matthew Caswell, representing Strathmore Homes, said the company had been assured by the district council that the main site was suitable for development.

He said there had not been a "single whisper by anyone" that the sites were subject to a common right as a village green.

He also said evidence collected from December 2001 to July this year, including diary entries and 150 hours of video evidence, showed use of the sites was sporadic/