Archive for January 2016
Getting the buzz
The society has long opposed fencing on commons, and we are pleased that an alternative is being developed. Last November we joined a group of commons practitioners on a visit to Epping Forest, to learn about the use of invisible fencing to contain stock. Epping Forest is a 12-mile-long stretch of ancient woodland straddling the…
Read MoreWe fight devastation of south Wales common
We have objected to plans by Miller Argent to enclose parts of Gelligaer and Merthyr common in Caerphilly, to dig six million tonnes of coal from the Nant Llesg mine. Because this affects common land, the company needs the consent of Welsh ministers for works on the common in addition to any planning consent. The…
Read MoreAnglesey Council rejects plans for development in beauty spot
Anglesey Council has rejected a planning application for a new dwelling at Llangoed in the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). We opposed the plan for a new house at the rear of Penmarian Mawr because it would be an eyesore in this intimate, attractive landscape with its historic features and listed buildings, in…
Read MorePlan to sacrifice Lyde Green common withdrawn
We are delighted that NORFT Ltd has withdrawn its controversial plan to sacrifice Lyde Green Common near Pucklechurch, north-east of Bristol, and replace it with inferior land some distance away. NORFT, the owner of the common, had applied to the Planning Inspectorate to deregister and exchange Lyde Green. The Open Spaces Society, Emersons Green Town…
Read MoreNew freedom to roam on Cissbury’s downland
Worthing Borough Council has dedicated its land at Mount Carvey and Tenants Hill for public access and enjoyment. It is close to the ancient Cissbury Ring, on the top of the downs above Worthing in the South Downs National Park in West Sussex. The decision follows a six-year campaign led by the Worthing Downlanders (formerly…
Read MoreLancashire County Council threatens to abandon its countryside service
We are dismayed that Lancashire County Council has said that it will cease to provide and maintain its countryside sites in two years’ time. We have responded to the council’s consultation on the future of the countryside services beyond April 2018. Of course we understand that the council faces massive cuts, stated to be £262…
Read MoreRestore Fawley’s Walnut Tree pub for walkers
We have backed an application to Wycombe District Council to rebuild and restore the Walnut Tree pub at Fawley in Bucks. The site is at the hub of a number of public rights of way in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is passed by countless walkers, riders and cyclists. The pub closed…
Read MoreThreat to Cornish bridleway
We have objected to an application to station 91 residential-park dwellings on land close to a public bridleway and common land, at Quintrell Downs, Colan, north Cornwall. The new residents would have to drive along the bridleway to gain access to the A392 road to the north. We oppose the development because it will generate…
Read MoreMember Feedback
Chris Peat, Carlton, Leicestershire A formal opening ceremony was held in Carlton recently to open an improved footpath. Over the last two years Carlton Parish Council has worked with the County and Borough Councils and the Carlton Footpath Group to install 13 gates and kissing gates in place of stiles on two local footpaths, and…
Read MoreSafe crossings for Poole pedestrians
We have helped secure four crossings over the busy Shore Road at Poole, to enable walkers to get safely from the beachfront to the harbourside, using a popular footpath. These were achieved by our local correspondents Harry and Aimee Alexander who pursued the campaign for ten years. Says Harry: ‘After more than a decade of…
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