We welcome designation of Lake District as World Heritage Site

As Britain’s leading pressure-group for open spaces and common land, we welcome the announcement that the Lake District National Park will be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The society’s chairman, Graham Bathe(1), said: ‘This announcement brings the fullest recognition that the Lake District is a cultural landscape of global importance, forged by the interplay…

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We criticise new Ordnance Survey map of greenspaces

As Britain’s leading pressure-group for open spaces, we say that today’s launch of a new ‘comprehensive map of greenspaces’(1) fails to deliver the Government’s commitment to map ‘all open-access green space’. The Ordnance Survey has announced the publication of a database of greenspaces in Great Britain. The database is offered via a mapping tool online,…

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A new deal for public access post-Brexit

‘Agricultural funds post Brexit should pay for more and better public access.’ So declared the Open Spaces Society’s vice-president, Paul Clayden, at the society’s annual general meeting in London on Thursday 6 July. ‘The government has promised that the current level of agricultural support will be maintained until the next election. This means that there…

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London Assembly’s vision for green spaces

We have welcomed the London Assembly’s recommendations to the Mayor to recognise, protect and improve London’s green spaces. The Assembly has published ‘Park Life: ensuring green spaces remain a hit with Londoners’, with seven recommendations for the Mayor to include in the forthcoming Environment Strategy.  These include extending and improving access to London’s green spaces,…

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We urge caution on proposed law changes for parks

We have condemned government proposals to legislate to prevent local authorities charging ‘Parkrun’ and ‘Junior Parkrun’. We were responding to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) consultation ‘Running free’, on preserving the free use of public parks. The society believes this issue of charging must not be taken in isolation as it will…

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We deplore power-lines on Bridgend common

We are disappointed that Welsh ministers have approved an application from Western Power Distribution to site an overhead electricity line, with 16 poles, on a South Wales common. The proposed electricity line will run for more than a mile across Mynydd Llangeinwyr common, the upland between Cwm Garw and Cwm Ogwr Fawr about six miles…

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Ancient Lewes bridleway under attack again

The ancient bridleway and popular bridleway from Lewes prison to Lewes racecourse and beyond is used by many walkers, equestrians and cyclists. It is one of the main ways Lewes residents and visitors access the South Downs. Now it is under attack again. What has happened Some years ago signs were erected, trying to stop…

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