Our last-minute bid to rescue lost commons
We have made 78 applications to rescue lost commons in England’s seven pioneer areas[1] before the deadline of 31 December 2020. The applications are to register these precious spaces as common land. If successful, they will give the public the right to walk, and in some cases to ride, on the land and will protect…
New correspondent for Barnet
We have appointed Peter Berrecloth as our local correspondent for Barnet. Peter is a keen walker, and has walked the length of both Wales and Scotland in winter, a total of 700 miles. He is currently working on a project to trace Barnet’s ancient drovers’ routes which would have been used to drive livestock from…
Our new watchdog for Market Harborough
We have appointed Peter Pollak as local correspondent for Market Harborough District in Leicestershire. Peter will keep a close watch on paths, commons, greens and other open spaces in the area and will intervene when they are threatened. Peter was an Engineer Surveyor for the insurance business. During that time, he undertook surveys of local…
We fight development on Conwy common
We have objected to a planning application on a common at Mynydd Bodrochwyn, Llanfair Talhaiarn, five miles south of Abergele in Conwy. The application, from Mr Norman Frost, is for a museum and car-park. The North Wales Ramblers are among the objectors. The Open Spaces Society has pointed out that, since the land affected…
Celebrating the CROW Act’s 20th birthday
Today, 30 November, we celebrate 20 years since the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act obtained royal assent. Part one of the Act was a great milestone in the history of the access movement, giving the public the right to walk responsibly on all registered common land and mapped mountain, moor, heath and down…
Gifting paths and open spaces via a society membership subscription
Do you know someone who enjoys spending time in open spaces or exploring our amazing network of paths? Would you like to buy a gift in this pandemic year that shows how much we have all come to value our outdoors, now more than ever? Would you like to make an environmentally friendly and ethical…
We call for a new fee for common-land swaps
We have written to the Welsh Government’s Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths MS, asking her to introduce a fee for applicants who want to swap areas of common land. The process is ruled by section 16 of the Commons Act 2006. We point out that section 16 requires that, in all…
New green at Scorton, North Yorkshire
We have congratulated Scorton Parish Council on its voluntary registration of land as a new village green. The land is adjacent to Blenheim Close at the southern end of the village which is north-east of Catterick in North Yorkshire. The new green adjoins the existing Jubilee Green which was registered two years ago. The parish…
Protecting Wales’s local spaces through good design and community involvement
We have signed the Placemaking Wales Charter, pledging to support its objectives. These include a commitment to support the creation of high-quality places across Wales for the benefit of communities. The charter has been developed by the Welsh government and the Design Commission for Wales in collaboration with the Placemaking Wales partnership. It has more…