New Evidence: How Much of Verdin Park Has Already Been Lost – and Was It Ever Legal?

We have been busy since our last update, and what we've uncovered raises significant new questions about the history of Verdin Park.

The existing hospital car park may not have been legally transferred

Land Registry records obtained this week reveal that the formal deed intended to grant the NHS rights over the western strip of Verdin Park—the land now occupied by the existing hospital car park—was not signed until 22 February 1983.

However, historical records indicate that the hospital car park had already been constructed around a decade earlier, during the early 1970s.

This raises an obvious question: on what legal basis was the land occupied before the deed was signed?

There are also questions about whether the 1983 deed itself was legally effective. It was executed by Northwich Town Council, yet the available evidence suggests the park had already transferred to Vale Royal District Council by that time. If so, Northwich Town Council may not have had the legal authority to dispose of land it no longer owned.

We have also found no evidence that the statutory consents normally associated with disposing of charitable or undervalue local authority land were obtained. We have therefore submitted Freedom of Information requests to Northwich Town Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, and Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust seeking the complete legal documentation.

At this stage, we are seeking evidence rather than drawing conclusions, but the documents raise serious questions about the legal basis on which the existing hospital car park occupies former park land.

Northwich Town Council appears to own the hospital's entrance road

Land Registry title plans also show that Northwich Town Council owns the narrow strip of land running along the western edge of Verdin Park to Winnington Lane—the route used as the hospital's main vehicle entrance.

We do not currently know what legal rights the hospital has over this land or whether any payment is made for its use. We have asked for clarification.

A barrister's opinion exists—but remains secret

Northwich Town Council has confirmed that it obtained formal legal advice from a barrister regarding Verdin Park.

We requested that advice under the Freedom of Information Act. The Council refused, relying on legal professional privilege.

We have requested an internal review because we believe there is a compelling public interest in understanding the legal basis for decisions affecting a park protected by charitable trust obligations. If the refusal is upheld, we intend to appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Meanwhile, Northwich Town Council's own statement confirms that significant legal issues remain under consideration:

"The Council has sought legal advice regarding its ability to enter into any lease arrangement and, together with Cheshire West and Chester Council, is considering the relevant legal and covenant issues. Cheshire West and Chester Council, as the principal authority, is currently reviewing these matters."

Why this matters

The current proposal would involve further hospital development on land protected by a 140-year-old charitable covenant, which the Land Registry records as "still subsisting and capable of being enforced."

The evidence we have uncovered raises questions not only about the proposed new car park, but also about the legal basis on which part of Verdin Park was first occupied more than fifty years ago.

The existing hospital car park is itself former park land. The documents now obtained raise serious questions about whether that first occupation was ever properly authorised. The deed purporting to formalise the arrangement was executed around a decade after the land had already been taken, and there are legitimate questions about whether that deed was legally effective.

This matters because Verdin Park has already lost land to hospital expansion once before. The questions now emerging about that earlier loss make it all the more important that the current proposal is subjected to proper legal scrutiny before any further land is lost.

Once public park land is built on, it rarely returns to public use. The former bandstand site is now part of the hospital estate. That history demonstrates that temporary assurances can result in permanent change.

For that reason, we believe decisions should be based on documentary evidence rather than assurances. We will continue pursuing the original legal documents through Freedom of Information requests and will publish everything we discover.

Land taken once does not come back. Before any further part of Verdin Park is lost, the public deserves clear answers about how the previous loss occurred and whether it was ever lawfully authorised.

You can read our detailed Land Registry analysis and the Freedom of Information correspondence on our website. Every signature, every share and every donation helps us continue investigating and protecting Verdin Park. You can also help with legal costs through GoFundMe.