Common land provides massive common good
‘In these austere times, we should invest in our unique resource of common land.’ So said our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, at an international symposium on the role of commons at Sheffield Hallam University on 16 September. ‘Commons are a remarkable survival from pre-medieval times, unenclosed and undisturbed through history. They also have immense public…
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Encroachments on Chiltern common
We have called on Chiltern District Council to take enforcement action against unlawful works on Layters Green Common, Chalfont St Peter, in the Buckinghamshire Chilterns. Willow Developments has planning permission to develop Willow Tree House, Layters Green, but the council has told the developer that it must first get consent from the Secretary of State…
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Finding Common Ground
We have published Finding Common Ground, the first-ever guide to how to recognise and take account of local-community interests in common land. The work was commissioned by Natural England, the government’s adviser on the natural environment. Read it here. Says Kate Ashbrook, our general secretary (who wrote the report with Nicola Hodgson, its case officer):…
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Pennine walkers hit out at path cuts
Our general secretary Kate Ashbrook has slated government plans to cut local-council spending on public rights of way. Kate, who is also patron of the Walkers Are Welcome Town Network and a trustee of the Ramblers, was launching the South Pennines Walk & Ride Festival in the Walkers Are Welcome town of Ilkley, West Yorkshire,…
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New activist for South Derbyshire
We have appointed Barry Thomas, of Melbourne, south of Derby, as our local correspondent for South Derbyshire. Barry will be our eyes and ears in this area, keeping a close watch on the state of the paths and reporting any problems to Derbyshire County Council, the highway authority. Barry is a retired Derby teacher, where…
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Excrescences on Chailey Common
Lewes District Council’s Planning Applications Committee has deferred determination of a retrospective application for brick piers on Chailey Common in East Sussex because it needs to investigate the matter further. The planning application has been submitted by the owners of White Cottage, Haywards Heath Road, North Chailey. They erected illuminated, brick piers with their house…
Read MoreWe oppose wind turbine on Welsh common
We have objected to plans by Awel Aman Tawe to erect a wind turbine, hard standing and access tracks on common land in south Wales. The threatened common is Cefn Gwrhyd Common in the community of Cwmllynfell in Neath Port Talbot. We were consulted about the application for works on common land under section 194…
Read MoreThreat to Hertfordshire’s prime path
We have objected to plans to site two new schools at Whittington Way on the south side of Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire, because they will severely interfere with the Hertfordshire Way long-distance footpath.(1) The governors of the Bishop’s Stortford and Herts & Essex High Schools want to move the two schools to the Whittington Way…
Read MoreAdd your campaign for open spaces and paths to the Piece-by-piece website
The Guardian has launched its Piece-by-piece campaign. The aim is to publicise threatened places and spaces and to enable local activists to exchange information and advice, and to build a powerful alliance against developments which threaten our natural environment and people’s enjoyment of it. Click to add your campaign to Piece-by-piece.
Read MoreSwansea slip bridge—campaigners fight on
The path across the former slip bridge on Swansea’s seafront is to be closed. The decision was made by Sue Arnott, the inspector acting for Welsh Ministers, at a public inquiry in June into Swansea Council’s proposed extinguishment of the route. The plan was opposed by the Swansea Slip Bridge Civic Society, ourselves and others.…
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