Braintree Green Common is not a private garden

We have called for the removal of an unlawful picket-fence around part of Braintree Green Common at Rayne, one mile west of Braintree in Essex. This follows the refusal by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of retrospective consent for the works on common land, under section 38 of the Commons…

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The Open Spaces Society’s views on Defra’s consultation on the registration of new village greens, September 2011

We are deeply concerned about this consultation. We have asked our members for their views and are preparing a detailed response before the closing date of 17 October. In particular, our concerns are as follows. 1. A package The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) appears to be presenting a package of proposals,…

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Trailblaze

We have recently been contacted by members of the Open Spaces Society who are unhappy about the Trailblaze project which is currently being trialled by Natural England on eight national trails. The society, while generally welcoming the wider use of paths, does have some concerns about this initiative which are broadly as follows: 1. the…

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Unlawful fence across Brecon Beacons commons must go

The Welsh Government has refused retrospective consent for a four-and-a-half-mile-long fence across common land in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The fence runs from near Pontsticill Reservoir in the south, crossing the hillside via Upper Neuadd Reservoir, passing just to the east of the famous summits of Pen y Fan and Cribyn and then cutting…

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Plans withdrawn for 13 wind-turbines in tranquil Lune Valley

FELLS (Friends of Eden, Lakeland and Lunesdale Scenery), who have fought hard for over a decade to preserve the unspoiled tranquillity of the Lune Valley from its source in the Howgill Fells to the sea at Lancaster, are delighted that Community Windpower Ltd has withdrawn its appeal for the 13-turbine wind-farm development on Claughton and…

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Long-service award for Peter Newman

The society’s trustees have made an award to Peter Newman for achieving 25 years on our board. They presented Peter with a blotter at their meeting this week, to thank him both for his long service to the committee and as a campaigner for public paths in the Welsh Marches. Peter lives and works in…

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Essex footpath saved from glasshouse development

Epping Forest District Council has refused consent for a massive glasshouse development across a public footpath, Nazeing footpath 10, in Essex. We were among the objectors to the planning application, from Valley Grown Nurseries, Paynes Lane, Nazeing, to erect 87,119 square metres of glasshouses plus an ancillary warehouse. The development would have required Nazeing footpath…

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Go Ape gets go-ahead at Lever Park

Chorley Council has given retrospective consent to Adventure Forest Ltd for a Go Ape development in the historic Lever Park at Rivington in Lancashire.  The consent is for two zip-wire landing sites in the park which were constructed without the necessary planning permission. We opposed the development because it conflicts with the Liverpool Corporation Act…

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