Celebrating the CROW Act’s 20th birthday

Today, 30 November, we celebrate 20 years since the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act obtained royal assent.  Part one of the Act was a great milestone in the history of the access movement, giving the public the right to walk responsibly on all registered common land and mapped mountain, moor, heath and down…

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We call for a new fee for common-land swaps

Clyne Common showing to the left of the track the land which it was proposed to swap. © Copyright Bill Boaden and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons LicenceClyne Common showing to the left of the track the land which it was proposed to swap. © Copyright Bill Boaden and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

We have written to the Welsh Government’s Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths MS, asking her to introduce a fee for applicants who want to swap areas of common land.  The process is ruled by section 16 of the Commons Act 2006. We point out that section 16 requires that, in all…

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New green at Scorton, North Yorkshire

The new village green at Scorton

We have congratulated Scorton Parish Council on its voluntary registration of land as a new village green. The land is adjacent to Blenheim Close at the southern end of the village which is north-east of Catterick in North Yorkshire.  The new green adjoins the existing Jubilee Green which was registered two years ago.  The parish…

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Protecting Wales’s local spaces through good design and community involvement

photo of Clyne Common showing the proposed release land to the left of the track © Copyright Bill Boaden and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

We have signed the Placemaking Wales Charter, pledging to support its objectives. These include a commitment to support the creation of high-quality places across Wales for the benefit of communities. The charter has been developed by the Welsh government and the Design Commission for Wales in collaboration with the Placemaking Wales partnership. It has more…

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Livestock diversions

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), the Tenant Farmers’ Assocation and the Countryside Alliance have asked Defra Ministers to legislate to facilitate farmer-managed diversions on public paths to avoid cattle and other livestock. The Ramblers’ website offers a good summary of the position. The society has attended meetings with the CLA…

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We win new green and new path for Witney

Looking north-west over the new green towards the RCV estate

We have won a new town green and public footpath for the people of Witney in west Oxfordshire.  These public amenities are on land at Coral Springs, between Thorney Leys and the A40, which four years ago was developed by Richmond Care Villages (RCV). In building an estate of retirement homes RCV illegally blocked a…

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Our new activist for the Isle of Wight

We have appointed Mrs Helen Slade as our local correspondent for the Isle of Wight.  Helen, who lives in Ventnor, will be the society’s eyes and ears, keeping a close watch on paths, commons, greens, open spaces and the progress of the coastal path on the Island, and intervening as necessary. Helen has recently retired…

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