Protecting Hook Meadown

Viv Parker's application to turn Hook Meadow into a village green was submitted at the beginning of January - many thanks to all of you who completed the questionnaire. However, the Council, as owner, raised an objection.
"On behalf of Medway Council, I object to the application because I believe that the facilities at Hook Meadow have not been available to the public "as of right" for the last 20 years. Accordingly I would suggest that the use would suggest that the use of the facilities (play equipment, sports facilities, football field, etc) is with the land owner's permission".
The Council have said this despite the fact that the historical record shows that Hook Meadow had previously belonged to the owner's of the Poacher's Pocket (previously known as the Hook and Hatchet) and had been used as recreation land since at least 1670 when it was known as the Playstole, a name which implies it had been used as a village green since Mediaeval times. So this all raised the question of whether Medway, like many other local authorities, are about to cut back on their greenspaces to save money by simply barring us, the general public, from their land by labelling us all as trespassers and denying us access to these greenspaces "as of right" (I.e. without permission, force or secrecy). Viv asked a question to Council but the answer failed to give any reassurance. Viv also notes with alarm that the care of the parks and countryside ranger service have been transferred to Norse.
The Application has been rejected by the committee, the Council officer's advice, using case law that Viv feels is not appropriate, swayed the committee to vote against the application unanimously.