We fight commercial use of public open space in Dulwich
We have opposed a planning application for a commercial children’s day-nursery on Dulwich sports ground at Turney Road in Southwark. The application has been made by Southwark Community Sports Trust to provide revenue for the trust to maintain the sports ground. There are many local objectors including the Friends of Belair Park. We consider that…
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Threat of closure of cobbled highway in Hebden Bridge
The owner of Hebble House, formerly the Hole in the Wall pub, in Hebden Bridge, Calderdale, wants to stop up part of an ancient, cobbled highway known as Old Gate and use it for private parking. The application has been made to the council under section 116 of the Highways Act 1980. If the council…
Read MoreWe object to private use of Surrey common
We have objected to plans by the Shere Manor Estate to construct four parking-spaces on The Hurtwood common, near Holmbury St Mary in Surrey. This is to provide parking for the future occupiers of properties created from the conversion of The Hollybush tavern. Because the works are on common land, they require the consent of…
Read MoreMisleading articles about homeowners and ramblers: we put things straight
The society has criticised as muddled, misleading and inaccurate the stories which appeared in the national press on 2 January, with the headlines ‘Homeowners win right to bar ramblers from land’ (The Times) and ‘Homeowners’ victory in battle with ramblers’ (The Telegraph). The stories suggest that, under the proposed Deregulation Bill, landowners will have a…
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Landmark judgment on highway obstruction
A High Court judge has ruled that gates erected across Barcroft Lane by Mr Brian Herrick, owner of the £3.8-million Barcroft Hall at South Petherton in Somerset, are unlawful. They must now be removed. On 17 February Mr Justice Cranston handed down his judgment in Herrick v Kidner and Somerset County Council, which is the…
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Eightieth anniversary of milestone law for walkers and riders
The legal rule that a path becomes a right of way after 20 years’ unhindered public use is 80 years old today (1 January). The Rights of Way Act 1932 came into effect on 1 January 1934 and applied throughout England and Wales. We celebrate the eightieth anniversary of this milestone act of parliament for…
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Planning inspector refuses consent for solar farm in rural Somerset
A planning inspector has refused consent for a solar farm at Doulting, east of Shepton Mallet, in the heart of rural Somerset. Mendip District Council refused permission in January 2013 but the applicant, AEE Renewables, appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. The decision by inspector Karen Ridge LLB was published on 19 December. The application was…
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Bovine TB control and commons
Because of the potential effect on common land, we have responded to a consultation from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on proposals for new controls to reduce the risk of bovine TB transmission between cattle herds. We have objected to the proposed amendment to remove the common land pre-movement testing exemption from…
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Welsh Government wants to pave the way for development of green spaces
We have condemned the Welsh Government’s draft Planning Bill in which it proposes to pave the way for development of open spaces by changing the law for registering land as a town or village green. The Welsh Government wants to make it impossible to apply to register land as a green where that land is…
Read MoreNew plan for golf-course on national-park common
We have objected to a new planning application, from Old Thorns Golf and Country Club, to create a golf-course on a heathland common near Liphook in the South Downs National Park. The golf course will be highly damaging to the superb landscape of the area and people’s enjoyment of it. The development will also interfere…
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