Dismay that Kirkby Moor wind turbines are to stay
A planning inspector has ruled that 12 wind turbines on common land at Kirkby Moor in Cumbria, close to the Lake District National Park, can remain until 2027. The applicant, Zephyr Investments Ltd (now Ventient Energy), appealed against South Lakeland District Council’s refusal to extend the life of the wind farm. The planning inspector, Mr…
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We win greater width for Mayfield footpath
Brendan Clegg, our local correspondent for Wealden District in East Sussex, has won a five-metre width on a footpath at Mayfield. The county council promoted a plan to move the path, but proposed that the new route had a width of only two and a half metres. Brendan argued that this was insufficient, particularly if…
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York Council agrees to step up its work on public paths
York City Council has agreed to step up its work on public paths. The decision was made by the council’s executive on 18 July, in response to a complaint by our member, Mr Graham Cheyne, to the local government ombudsman (LGO). On 9 May the LGO told the City of York Council that it must…
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Knutsford Heath event guidelines welcomed
The national Open Spaces Society is delighted at the enormous step forward for Knutsford Heath, an important area of common land in Knutsford, Cheshire East. The owner of The Heath, Tatton Estate, has signed an agreement with Knutsford Town Council and the Friends of The Heath (an Open Spaces Society member) to provide guidelines for the use…
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The society in action – spreading the word
The society’s digital content and marketing manager, Nichola Finan gave a talk at our recent AGM outlining how the website and social media are being harnessed to spread the word. We want to promote the Open Spaces Society vision and mission to a wide range of supporters and potential members, plus government and other organisations…
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The society in action – our approach to the common land re-registration challenge
Our commons re-registration officer, Dr Frances Kerner, is researching lost commons which are eligible for registration as common land under part 1 of the Commons Act 2006. At the recent AGM, Frances gave a talk about the work involved to make an application to re-register ‘lost’ commons. The re-registration of common land comprises three strands…
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The society in action – Why I went to Lima
The seventeenth biennial conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) was held in Lima and our general secretary represented the society. She writes of her experiences. This time the conference was called ‘In defence of the commons’, and it had a more practical feel about it than previous conferences which…
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Village greens in the balance warns Open Spaces Society
‘Our green spaces are under unprecedented threat as the law on town and village greens is in the balance.’ So declared the Open Spaces Society’s chairman, Chris Beney, at the society’s annual general meeting in London on Thursday (11 July). ‘Only recently the courts ruled that 380 square metres at Vowley View, Wootton Bassett in…
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Urban commons – Brighton conference update
Nicola Hodgson, will be speaking tomorrow at Brighton University at a one day conference on “methodologies for engagement and four urban commons”. The day will bring together representatives, stakeholders and users of urban commons with experts in open space management and methods of public engagement. It is part of the “ Wastes and Strays project” …
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Blackbushe airport ruling could put many commons under threat
We are dismayed that a planning inspector has ruled that part of Yateley Common in Hampshire should lose its common-land status. Mr Alan Beckett was the inspector at the public inquiry in April into Blackbushe Airport Ltd’s application to deregister nearly half a square kilometre of common land covering the airport. He has said that…
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