Our loyal member Tony Newman (1929-2021)
Our member for 50 years, the late Tony Newman, has left us a generous legacy. Tony was born in Tottenham, north London, in 1929. He lived in London and Surrey during his childhood, and began his working life in Thomas Cook’s head office in Piccadilly, in the winter-sports department. After National Service, from 1947 to…
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Our new campaigner in Buckinghamshire’s former Chiltern district
We have appointed Aidan Harris as our local correspondent for the former Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire. On behalf of the society, Aidan will champion public paths, and commons, greens and other open spaces in his patch. He will respond to proposals to alter the routes of public paths and advise the society and its members…
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An open letter to Cornwall Councillors from Open Spaces Society member, Hugh Gladden
Open Spaces Society member, Hugh Gladden, recently wrote to the Cornish Times, expressing his disappointment at the council’s failure in its duty to prevent paths being obstructed. You can read his letter below. Hundreds of landowners commit criminal offences, but Cornwall Council and its councillors look the other way. Under the Highways Act (1980) local…
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Loss of Longhorsley green refused
We have welcomed a decision to retain part of Longhorsley village green, which the parish council wanted to convert to a private driveway. Longhorsley Parish Council wanted to sell off around 54 square metres of Longhorsley green, in this case part of the verge of East Road, in the Northumberland village east of the junction…
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Hertfordshire green to garden gambit rejected
We have welcomed a decision to preserve part of Preston recreation ground, in Hertfordshire, which the parish council wanted to convert to a private garden. Preston Parish Council wanted to sell off around 70 square metres of Preston recreation ground, which lies on the west side of Hitchin Road, in the village west of Stevenage. …
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Our new activist in Gloucestershire
We have appointed Chas Townley as our local correspondent for Stroud District in Gloucestershire. Chas lives in Stroud and is a retired social-housing manager and former Stroud District and Town councillor. He has been working on the registration of unrecorded rights of ways in Stroud and surrounding parishes. As a result, 27 applications have been…
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Land registered as common at Teneriffe in Cornwall
We celebrate the decision by the Planning Inspectorate to grant our application to register two small pieces of land (0.146 hectare) situated two miles south of Mullion in Cornwall. The land was provisionally registered as common land under the Commons Registration Act 1965, but late in the day the applicant withdrew the application and the…
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We help to protect Hamsterley green, County Durham
We have welcomed a decision which will help protect Hamsterley village green, VG45, six miles west of Bishop Auckland in County Durham. Hamsterley Parish Council had applied to the environment secretary for permission to deregister part of the green, which includes a ribbon of green verge along Saunders Avenue, to facilitate access to a new…
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Works compound rejected on Chobham Common, Surrey
We have welcomed the decision of an inspector to refuse consent for a new works-compound on Chobham Common in Surrey. The works were proposed by Sunningdale golf club, for which an application for consent was made under section 38 of the Commons Act 2006. Sunningdale new course lies largely on Chobham Common, whereas the old…
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Reopening of blocked footpath in Cornwall follows threat of legal action
Following a threat of legal action, a landowner has removed crops which were obstructing the route of a public footpath at St Ervan, three miles south-west of Padstow in Cornwall. The landowner is a St Ervan parish councillor. Cornwall Council, the highway authority, had failed in its legal duty to ensure the path remained unobstructed,…
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