Latest News

Halt of forest sales ‘a tiptoe in the right direction’

February 12, 2011

We have responded to the government’s announcement, that it is temporarily suspending the sale of 15 per cent of the public forestry estate, as ‘a tiptoe in the right direction’.  But we want the government to abandon its plans to sell off much of the rest of the English public forest estate. In making its…

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Victory for Kent coastland

February 9, 2011

Kent County Council has resolved to register land adjacent to Barnes car-park on Westbrook Promenade, near Margate in Kent, as a village green. We backed our member WASPS (Westbrook Against Selling Promenade Site) led by Tony Sykes, in its bid to secure rights for local people to enjoy this land for recreation, as well as…

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The fight for West Beach, Whitstable

February 8, 2011

We have joined the campaign to stop the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company from building a café on the unspoilt West Beach at Whitstable in Kent. The society has sent an objection to Canterbury City Council. This is a lovely, unspoilt beach. The café will be an eyesore and will suburbanise it. It will interfere with…

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Public school privatisation plan bites the dust

February 6, 2011

Local Ramblers and the Open Spaces Society have led a successful bid to prevent the closure of a public footpath across the grounds of Pipers Corner, the posh public school at Great Kingshill, near High Wycombe in Bucks.  A public inquiry was held last December and the Planning Inspectorate has now published its decision. The…

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Outdoor enthusiasts speak out over Public Bodies Bill

February 4, 2011

Twelve organisations, representing a broad range of people who care about and enjoy the great outdoors, have today (4 February) issued a statement expressing their concerns about the Public Bodies Bill, currently in the House of Lords. The statement draws attention to changes proposed to the Forestry Commission and the National Park Authorities which own…

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Chadderton Field, Newcastle, wins village green protection

February 3, 2011

We have congratulated the Friends of Chadderton Field on the successful registration of a new village green. The green is in the Chapel House area in the City of Newcastle. Newcastle City Council, the registration authority, agreed on 1 February to register the land, which consists of a grassed area. The application was made on…

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Vital safeguards for public woods and forests

February 1, 2011

The society has published a set of vital safeguards for the public forest estate in England, ahead of the opposition debate on forests in the House of Commons on Wednesday (2 February). We have written to MPs urging them to advocate these safeguards in the debate. All these safeguards must be satisfied before the sale…

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We oppose plan for Baddesley Common

January 31, 2011

We have objected to the Friends of Baddesley Common’s plan to construct a pond on the common, near Atherstone in north Warwickshire. We have sent an objection to North Warwickshire District Council, because the pond will be detrimental to the existing landscape, will result in the loss of a rare habitat, and will interfere with…

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Losehill Hall sold off: we have reservations

January 26, 2011

We have mixed feelings about the announcement from the Peak District National Park Authority that Losehill Hall, the world-famous national park learning centre, is to be sold to the Youth Hostels Association (YHA). The society favoured the bid from the Field Studies Council, and when the park opted for the YHA’s tender, had hoped that…

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Westfield Common, Woking, threatened again

January 21, 2011

Woking Borough Council is consulting interest groups and local people on plans to swap part of Westfield Common.  The intention is to provide an access road to a potential new housing development north of Moor Lane. Woking Council wanted to deregister 387 square metres of the common.  It is wet woodland and a Site of…

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