Inclosure revived
Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, writes about the revival of the inclosure movement. A century and a half ago we thought the inclosures were coming to an end—about the time that the Open Spaces Society was formed. Indeed, I said as much in Japan recently to an international audience on commons, and commiserated with those…
Read MorePublic paths in parliament
The draft Deregulation Bill, which contains measures for public rights of way (clauses 12-18 and schedule 6), has been published for parliamentary pre-legislative scrutiny. The bill aims to streamline and speed up the procedures for claiming paths for the definitive map. It follows the recommendations of Natural England’s Stakeholder Working Group on unrecorded ways, published…
Read MoreVillage greens legislation update
Growth & Infrastructure Act – update 2 September 2013 The government has published further guidance to reflect a number of significant changes to the law on registering new town and village greens under the Commons Act 2006, made in April 2013 under the Growth and Infrastructure Act. It replaces the interim version published in May 2013.…
Read MoreNew streamlined planning guide launched online
The Department for Communities and Local Government has launched a test website for its new National Planning Practice Guidance. In making the announcement, Planning Minister Nick Boles claimed that the new on-line guidance will give much needed simplicity and clarity to the planning system and bring about better community involvement. The ‘user friendly’ format is…
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Section 56 and all that …………
Alan Lyne, our local correspondent for Carlisle City, tells of his success in getting rights of way opened with the threat of a notice under section 56 of the Highways Act 1980. Trawling back through the Redspearlands Footpaths Group’s archives, Alan came across the papers from a meeting of the Cumbria County Council Development Control…
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OSS wins Elinor Ostrom Award
We have won a prestigious international award for our work on common land. Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, received the first-ever Elinor Ostrom Award at a global conference in Japan last week. The award was established by 15 institutions in memory of the renowned academic expert on commons, Elinor Ostrom of Indiana University, who died…
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Bernard Selwyn (1925-2013)
We are sad that our vice-president Bernard Selwyn died on 14 May after a short illness. He was 87. Bernard was a chartered surveyor with the Greater London Council. He was a member of our executive committee (1982-2006), our parliamentary agent (1993-2005) and our spokesman for London. Bernard was immensely generous. In 1994 he suffered…
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Common-land swap refused at Booker
The Planning Inspectorate has refused an application to make a swap of common land at Booker, near High Wycombe in Bucks. The application was made by Dr Ewan Bumpstead, the owner of a property on Willow Avenue the front garden of which is 330 square metres of registered common land. He wanted to exchange this…
Read MoreThe Growth and Infrastructure Act – the effect on greens
On 25 April the Growth and Infrastructure Bill received royal assent and is now the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013. Despite all our efforts, the provisions relating to town and village greens were not amended. The Bill was guillotined when it returned to the House of Commons and MPs did not even get the opportunity to…
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Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013
The Department for Communities and Local Government’s draft order to amend the existing trigger and terminating events was confirmed in the House of Commons and the House of Lords on Tuesday 28 January. The order sets out a time limit for draft plans, Local Development Orders, Neighbourhood Development Orders and Transport and Works Act Orders.The confirmed order can be…
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