Clyne Common, Swansea, saved from housing development 

The attempt by the Duke of Beaufort’s Somerset Trust to take part of Clyne Common at West Cross for housing development has finally been refused.    The deputy minister, Huw Irranca-Davis, has rejected the trust’s application to deregister 2.8 hectares on the eastern side of the common (the ‘release land’) and replace it with 3.4 hectares…

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We celebrate our Herefordshire volunteer’s law degree

Our local correspondent for south Herefordshire, Dave Howerski, has obtained a law degree from the Open University.    Dave was inspired to study for this through his voluntary work for the society, campaigning for public paths, threatening legal action, and persuading Herefordshire Council to carry out its statutory duty to protect and maintain them.  Dave, who…

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Our members congregate in Kenilworth

On 13 September we held a day in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, for members to celebrate our 160th anniversary, and to visit our land, Parliament Piece.  The six-hectare site was given to the society in 1987 by Miss Helen Martin of The Spring.  In 1999 we gave it to Warwick District Council on a 99-year lease, and…

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New report gives a vital boost to access in England 

We have welcomed the new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature.  The report, which was launched in parliament on 15 September, contains a comprehensive set of recommendations which will ensure that England’s outdoors becomes more accessible to more people.  The report is here.  The Department for Environment,…

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Osborne frustrates coastal path

Proposals for the route of the England Coast Path on the Isle of Wight look set to avoid some of the best bits of coast. We are dismayed that Natural England’s proposed route for the England Coast Path (ECP) on the Isle of Wight veers inland when it reaches the Osborne and Barton estates between…

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Our new watchdog for paths and green spaces in Essex

We have appointed Katherine Evans as our local correspondent to watch over the public paths, commons, greens, and other open spaces in Essex. Katherine lives in Braintree District in north-east Essex. She says: ‘I volunteered to be the Open Spaces Society’s local correspondent for Essex because I care about keeping our public rights of way…

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