Supreme Court overrides rights of local communities on village greens
We have expressed deep sympathy for our members, Janine Bebbington and the Moorside Fields Community Group in Lancaster, following the Supreme Court judgment(1) on 11 December rejecting the registration of the fields as a village green. See our summary of the judgment here. This will have a huge impact on the ability of local communities…
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We help to save Bowes Moor, County Durham, from enclosure
We are delighted that consent has been refused for nearly six kilometres of fencing on Bowes Moor common in County Durham1. The application was made under section 38 of the Commons Act 2006 for consent for works on common land. Such applications are determined by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State…
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We save Shropshire footpath from diversion
We have saved 100 metres of a footpath at Berrington, about four miles south-east of Shrewsbury, from being moved. Shropshire Council promoted the proposal on behalf of the landowner. Because we objected to the formal order, it was referred to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Planning Inspectorate determined…
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Mass protest against missing Thames-side footbridge at Fawley
On Saturday 16 November more than 150 people, from Henley-on-Thames and beyond, joined a rally to protest at the year-long closure of Fawley footpath 12 due to a missing footbridge at Fawley Court in Buckinghamshire. The closure is forcing walkers onto the dangerous A4155 Henley-to-Marlow road. The protest was organised by the Ramblers Henley and…
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Missed opportunity to protect open spaces in Wales
We have responded to the Welsh government’s consultation on its National Development Framework (NDF) and raised concerns about the impact on the landscape and tourism, and the missed opportunities for protecting open space. The NDF is a new development plan which will set the direction for development in Wales from 2020 to 2040. It contains…
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The Ethical Gift
Would you like to find a present for outdoorsy friends or family with a conscience? Ethical and environmentally friendly gifts are increasingly popular and rightly so. The Open Spaces Society is a small charity that fights to conserve and promote our environment by seeking protection for paths and open spaces, so that everyone can enjoy…
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We fight Henley Festival footpath closure
We have objected to plans by the Henley Festival for the temporary closure of the Thames Path National Trail in July 2020. Every year since 1998 the Festival has applied to Wokingham Borough Council, the highway authority, for the temporary closure of the path before, during and after the Festival—and the council has agreed. The…
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Our case officer Nicola Hodgson celebrates 20 years with Open Spaces Society
In 1999, solicitor Nicola Hodgson was instructed by Sunningwell Parish Council, in Oxfordshire, to register a piece of land as a village green – thereby preventing two new houses being built on the site which had, for decades, been popular with families and dog walkers. The case went to the House of Lords, resulting in…
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Welsh government must ensure new payments to farmers lead to better public access
We have called on the Welsh government to ensure that the payment of public money under the new Sustainable Land Management scheme will benefit the public who wish to gain access to Wales’s farmed land. The society has responded to the Welsh government’s consultation paper Sustainable Farming and our Land. The society wishes to see…
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Bullies beware!
Through our 154-year history, the Open Spaces Society has developed a proud record of legal action. We fought the enclosures, and defended commoners’ rights; we have tested the law in the courts many times. We have suffered losses, but we also have landmark victories to our name. One such victory was our challenge to Dorset…
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