Posts by Abbie Cavendish
We save Brickhill footpath, Bedford, from closure
We are delighted to have saved Brickhill footpath 9 from closure, following a public hearing in November. We were represented by our local correspondent and veteran path-defender, Mike Clarke. The 240-metre-long path runs between Waveney Avenue in the north to Falcon Avenue in the south, across Waveney Green, Brickhill, on the north side of Bedford. …
Read MoreNew village green at Portishead, North Somerset
We are delighted that a new village green has been registered at Portishead’s former golf course in North Somerset, thereby securing it for ever. The land has been enjoyed for informal recreation for decades. It was purchased from Bristol City Council by the then Woodspring District Council, with a covenant which said that it was…
Read MoreAccess at the heart of land-use policy
On 4 July our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, and the Ramblers director of advocacy and engagement, Tom Platt, gave evidence to the House of Lords Land Use in England Committee. They focused on the many benefits of greater public access, its lack of a home in government, and the potential for access to be central to…
Read MoreThreat to our age-old freedom on Dartmoor
A high court case, which opens today, could determine the future enjoyment of wild camping in the Dartmoor National Park. Alexander Darwall, the owner of Stall Moor common on Dartmoor, claims that the right of access under the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 does not include the right to wild camp. People have enjoyed this activity…
Read MoreLizard Downs, Cornwall, registered as common land
The extensive Lizard Downs in west Cornwall has been registered as common land, thanks to our efforts. The land, which is 116 hectares of splendid open moorland, failed to be finally registered as common during the three-year period allowed by the Commons Registration Act 1965. Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006 re-opened the door…
Read MoreInspector kicks out plan for football pitches on London common land
With local residents we have scored a big win for public open space by defeating controversial plans for a commercial football facility on common land. Following a seven-day public inquiry, a government-appointed planning inspector has kicked out proposed fenced and floodlit football-pitches in a tranquil and secluded part of Tooting Bec Common, known as the…
Read MoreOur loyal member Tony Newman (1929-2021)
Our member for 50 years, the late Tony Newman, has left us a generous legacy. Tony was born in Tottenham, north London, in 1929. He lived in London and Surrey during his childhood, and began his working life in Thomas Cook’s head office in Piccadilly, in the winter-sports department. After National Service, from 1947 to…
Read MoreOur new campaigner in Buckinghamshire’s former Chiltern district
We have appointed Aidan Harris as our local correspondent for the former Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire. On behalf of the society, Aidan will champion public paths, and commons, greens and other open spaces in his patch. He will respond to proposals to alter the routes of public paths and advise the society and its members…
Read MoreAn open letter to Cornwall Councillors from Open Spaces Society member, Hugh Gladden
Open Spaces Society member, Hugh Gladden, recently wrote to the Cornish Times, expressing his disappointment at the council’s failure in its duty to prevent paths being obstructed. You can read his letter below. Hundreds of landowners commit criminal offences, but Cornwall Council and its councillors look the other way. Under the Highways Act (1980) local…
Read MoreLand registered as common at Teneriffe in Cornwall
We celebrate the decision by the Planning Inspectorate to grant our application to register two small pieces of land (0.146 hectare) situated two miles south of Mullion in Cornwall. The land was provisionally registered as common land under the Commons Registration Act 1965, but late in the day the applicant withdrew the application and the…
Read More