Chadderton Field, Newcastle, wins village green protection
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…
Read More
Vital safeguards for public woods and forests
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…
Read More
We oppose plan for Baddesley Common
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…
Read More
Losehill Hall sold off: we have reservations
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…
Read MoreWestfield Common, Woking, threatened again
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…
Read MoreLocalism Bill is a muddle for open spaces
We today roundly condemn the Localism Bill, the government’s flagship measure for giving people power to run their own lives and neighbourhoods. The bill is due for second reading in the House of Commons on Monday 17 January. Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, says: ‘One of the bill’s most important aspects-the care and future of…
Read More
Crash landing for microlight plans
We are delighted that Aylesbury Vale District Council has refused planning permission to Mr Mark Fowler to fly microlight aircraft from Bernwood Farm, Botolph Claydon in mid Bucks. The application was retrospective: Mr Fowler, the tenant of Bernwood Farm, was already flying aircraft there without consent. We backed our member the Botolph Claydon Quiet Society…
Read More
Common land is key to the Welsh environment
We have responded to the Welsh Assembly Government’s consultation on A Living Wales—a new framework for our environment, our countryside and seas, by calling on it to recognise the importance of common land to the nation. Says Kate Ashbrook, our general secretary: ‘Common land covers over eight per cent of the land area of Wales.…
Read MoreWarwickshire’s threat to scrap paths team
We have responded angrily to Warwickshire County Council’s Head of Transport and Highways, Graeme Fitton, who has threatened to scrap the council’s Countryside Access Team. Mr Fitton has told us that the council needs to save £60 million by 2014 and that it is taking ‘a closer look’ at the countryside access service ‘with a…
Read More
Yeadon Banks Green still undecided following appeal court ruling
The application to register five acres of treasured open space known as Yeadon Banks, on the outskirts of Leeds, as a town green is still not decided following a Court of Appeal judgment on Monday (20 December). Read the judgment here Mr Doug Jones, of Keep Yeadon Banks Green (KEYBAG) applied in 2004 to register…
Read More