Campaigners in Wymondham have launched a new bid to prevent a supermarket building on an area of open space by trying to register it as a village green.

Action group Wymondham Asks Why (WAW) is urging residents to rally around its latest move before it submits an application to Norfolk County Council in the new year.

Members hope that the status can be applied to Kings Head Meadow, which owner Wymondham Town Council proposes to sell to Asda for a superstore and relocate current occupier Wymondham Town Football Club to new bespoke facilities.

The town council and retailer claim the move would bring much needed footfall and about 200 jobs to the town centre, while objectors have protested on the grounds of highway safety and the loss of the historic green area.

To become a village green, campaigners will have to prove that Kings Head Meadow has been used by local people for recreation as of right, i.e. without permission, force or secrecy, for at least 20 years.

WAW will be holding a public meeting at the Fairland United Reformed Church on January 21, at 11.30am, to explain the process and invite regular meadow users to get involved with the application.

Mr Gardiner said: 'This is probably the only chance we have to save the meadow for generations to come and I ask the people of Wymondham to attend and let's start the process of saving Kings Heads Meadow once and for all.'

He added that the group felt confident the application could be successful, which would prevent the area from being built on.

'When you look at the history it becomes very apparent that it is very, very much a village green,' he said.

'Sure the football club use it, but it's not actually a fenced off area. We feel because so many people use it, school children stop there in the summer and dog walkers go down there, that it is an integral part of Wymondham and is therefore a village green.'

Asda is due to host a public exhibition into its proposals in the spring prior to submitting a planning application.

Wymondham Town Council declined to comment.