We help to save part of Hertfordshire common
We are delighted that we have helped to save part of a Hertfordshire common. The land is a wide roadside verge of High Street, in the village of Bovingdon, four miles south-west of Hemel Hempstead. Dacorum Borough Council wanted to use 140 square metres of the common for six, surfaced, car-parking bays, near the junction…
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We save Herefordshire path from diversion
Our local correspondent Peter Newman has saved a path at Hope-under-Dinmore, four miles south of Leominster in Herefordshire. Network Rail and Herefordshire Council wanted to replace a footpath, HD4, which crosses the Shrewsbury to Hereford railway line at grade, with a route to the north which passes under the railway and is used by vehicles.…
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Helipad on Northumberland common
We have objected to a planning application from the East Allenheads Estate which would damage part of Allendale Common in Northumberland. The application is for a helicopter-landing area with concrete hard-standing. The applicant claims that this is a retrospective application to re-surface an existing helicopter landing, but the Open Spaces Society and other objectors argue…
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We fight fencing plan on Ugthorpe Common
The society has objected to an application from the Mulgrave Estate for nearly a mile of new fencing on Ugthorpe Common near Whitby in the North York Moors National Park. This is in addition to a retrospective application to replace more than two miles of fencing on the common. The estate applied to the Secretary…
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Barratt’s backs down over future of Leigh Common, Dorset
We have prevailed in a High Court action to halt further development of Leigh Common. Leigh Common is a 9-hectare woodland and grassland nature reserve in Colehill, near Wimborne—the first in Dorset to be registered in 1967 and given permanent protection. In 2016 developers Gleeson Developments Ltd applied to Dorset County Council to deregister Leigh…
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We save path at Honing and East Ruston in Norfolk
A footpath in the parishes of Honing and East Ruston in north Norfolk has been reopened, thanks to the persistence of our local correspondent Ian Witham. In 2012 Ian reported to the highway authority, Norfolk County Council, that part of footpath 15 in Honing and 27 in East Ruston was under water from the construction…
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A hand up from Glover
The report of the English landscapes review, led by Julian Glover, was published on 21 September 2019. We submitted evidence in 2018. The review covered national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs). It recognises the great importance of these landscapes and the affection for them, while noting that their founding mission has been…
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Changes to Cornwall’s common-land register
We are delighted that a planning inspector has granted two of the society’s applications to restore parts of Cornwall’s commons to the register. These are Cosgarne or Twelveheads Common near Chacewater and Maenporth Beach at Falmouth. The grounds of the applications were that both areas should have become finally registered at the time of the…
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The Canyons are saved
We are delighted that the popular Canyons, near Pontypool in Torfaen, have been saved from devastation. The Minister for Housing and Local Government in Wales, Julie James, has refused an appeal from Peakman Ltd for the extraction of aggregates and construction of an access road. This would have required the removal of part of Mynydd…
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Lambeth council bows to pressure over events on open space
A London council has bowed to pressure over its controversial policy of allowing major events to be held on its parks and open spaces. Lambeth Borough Council, which has come under fierce criticism for making money out of allowing damaging commercial events, has at last agreed that in future it will seek permission from the…
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