Joan Bird's home looks out over the beach at Freshwater East

It's not the traditional image of a village green but campaigners want to adopt laws aimed at preserving traditional rural focal points to safeguard the foreshore at Freshwater East.

It is the latest tactic in a fight over the last four decades to stop homes being built on land known as The Burrows.

Although much of the site was bought by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority in 2001 as a conservation area, campaigners say making it a village green would be an extra safeguard.

We feel there is the right balance now between housing and preserving the land Joan Bird

Eighty-three-year-old Joan Bird is president of the Freshwater Society formed in the early 1960s to preserve the foreshore.

Initially, the society tried to have it designated common land and when this failed they discussed applying for a lottery grant to buy it out-right.

Now members hope they will receive the backing of the park authority for village green status.

"Everybody locally knows The Burrows is like a secret garden - it's a wonderful place for children," said Ms Bird.

Development plans for the Burrows have been an issue of 40 years

"It is home to badgers, bats, barn owls and glow worms - it's ecology is very rich and varied.

"We want the whole of the land recognised for its importance."

The park authority has called an extraordinary meeting to discuss the issue next Wednesday but members may decide making the land a village green would cause more problems than it solves.

There are concerns it could affect the rights of way of people already living in homes on The Burrows, some of whom oppose the move.

And there are further worries it would make managing the land more difficult.

Since it took ownership the park authority has removed eyesores, improved parking and paths and begun to manage the woodland and vegetation. Officers have expressed concerns these activities could be hit.

Although the authority now owns most of the site and would block future applications a developer has outline planning consent for four properties on a small area of private land on the border of The Burrows.

Ms Bird says if it was a village green any future applications would be blocked.

"Several planned developments have come and gone. We feel there is the right balance now between housing and preserving the land.