Cows top at How Top
We’ve welcomed a decision to preserve part of White Moss common, Grasmere as common land. The proprietor of How Top, a former farmhouse near Town End, Grasmere, in the Lake District National Park, applied to Cumbria County Council in October 2020 to deregister around 80 square metres of roadside land north of How Top. The…
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Our featured images: the Cumbria collection
You can find our unique collection of lantern slides on the Open Spaces Society Website. The lantern transparencies show British landscapes from 1900-40, and were digitised and added to our website. This month, we’re focusing on our slides from Cumbria. The eight images show stunning scenes from the Lake District, including local workers and walkers…
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OEP assessment: government falling short
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has published its assessment of government progress on the 25-year environment plan, concluding that this progress has fallen short of expectations. There have been some improvements in air quality in recent years and people’s engagement with nature is also up markedly. Although welcome these are likely to in part…
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Our new watchdog in west Dorset
We have appointed Nicholas Whitsun-Jones as our local correspondent for the former West Dorset District. Nicholas was in the legal profession for 45 years, specialising in planning and environmental law, including rights of way. Since retirement he has done voluntary work for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) in Somerset and Devon, and now…
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Harrogate Stray to be brought into the fold
We have applied to North Yorkshire County Council to register Harrogate Stray as common land. The application, which was made on 19 January 2023, seeks to reverse the decision in November 1966 to exclude the Stray from registration under the Commons Registration Act 1965. Says one of our case officers, Hugh Craddock: ‘The decision in…
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Common land restored at Radfall Road, Blean, Kent
We welcome the decision by the planning inspectorate to grant our application to register as common land two pieces of land comprising approximately one hectare, near Blean, two miles north of Canterbury in Kent. In 1969 and under the Commons Registration Act 1965, an area of land known as Radfall Road running through Blean Woods…
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Wild camping on Dartmoor—the need to appeal
Update: An agreement is being reached between Dartmoor National Park Authority and the landowners to enable people to keep wild camping in Dartmoor National Park without landowners’ permission. While the agreement is welcome and we are pleased the landowners have stepped up, it goes nowhere far enough to meet wild campers’ needs. It is essential…
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Dadima’s footsteps
Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, writes of a new walking experience. Geeta Ludhra (British-born woman of South Asian heritage, and a member of the Chilterns Conservation Board), has established a monthly programme of educational nature walks with a difference in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Dadima’s Walks (‘dadima’ being the Hindu noun for…
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National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation: our hopes and fears
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) issued a consultation on 22 December seeking views on how to develop national planning policy in England, to support the government’s wider objectives. The proposals include amendments to the NPPF, the preparation of National Development Management Plans (NDMPs), policy to support levelling up, and how national…
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We save Brickhill footpath, Bedford, from closure
We are delighted to have saved Brickhill footpath 9 from closure, following a public hearing in November. We were represented by our local correspondent and veteran path-defender, Mike Clarke. The 240-metre-long path runs between Waveney Avenue in the north to Falcon Avenue in the south, across Waveney Green, Brickhill, on the north side of Bedford. …
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