2021 Report for the Stakeholder Working Group on Unrecorded Public Rights of Way
The aim of the Deregulation Act 2015 is to speed up the processing and determination of path claims. It is the result of many years’ work, and the consensus reached, by the rights of way stakeholder working group, consisting of balanced representation from landowners, local authorities and users. Our general secretary Kate Ashbrook is a…
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Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update
We thank you for visiting our website and hope that you remain safe and well. The society team is working as usual during lockdown allbeit remotely. With our physical office running on a skeleton staff, responding to postal enquiries will take a much longer than usual and we would ask you not to telephone if…
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Supreme Court overrides rights of local communities on village greens
We have expressed deep sympathy for our members, Janine Bebbington and the Moorside Fields Community Group in Lancaster, following the Supreme Court judgment(1) on 11 December rejecting the registration of the fields as a village green. See our summary of the judgment here. This will have a huge impact on the ability of local communities…
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Unhappy trigger
Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook considers the wider implications of a recent court of appeal judgment on greens. Town and village greens have been dealt a further body-blow. The appeal court has outlawed the registration of land which is within a ‘settlement boundary’ as a green. Ever since the egregious Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013…
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Consent refused for iron railings on Nottinghamshire common
We are delighted that the environment secretary has rejected a retrospective application for fencing on Hanging Hill Lane common, Normanton-on-Trent. The common is a long strip, consisting of Hanging Hill Lane and a broad verge on either side. The verge is used by walkers and for access to adjoining fields. The one-metre-high iron railings…
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New Developments Must Provide Open Space
We have called for new developments to be designed to include protected open space for recreation. We were responding to the consultation on Net Gain from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Picnic on Nutsford Vale, Manchester The society argues that such open spaces should have long-term protection, and that they should be…
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25-Year Environment Plan Evasive About People’s Enjoyment Of The Outdoors
We have criticised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for being vague about how it will measure its success in encouraging people to benefit from the natural environment. The society has responded to Defra’s consultation on measuring environmental change through its 25-year environment plan which was published in January 2018. In the…
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Kendal’s New Road Common Should Be Green Space Not Car Park
We have objected to plans to reinstate an unlawful car park on New Road Common, Kendal in Cumbria. Mr David Fone has applied to the Secretary of State for Environment, under section 38 of the Commons Act 2006, for consent for works on common land. Mr Fone is a private individual and the land is…
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Dismay At Warcop Commons Recommendation
We are deeply dismayed by the inspector’s recommendation to deregister the extensive Warcop commons, in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This follows a public inquiry at which we appeared as an objector with legal representation. The inspector recommends Cumbria County Council to approve the deregistration of most of Burton, Hilton and Murton…
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