Latest News

Nutsford Vale Open Space, Manchester, Is Saved

October 31, 2018

Picnic at Nutsford Vale We are delighted that Manchester City Council’s education department has decided not to build a school on the popular open space at Nutsford Vale, despite having received planning permission earlier this year. With our member, the Friends of Nutsford Vale, we opposed the planning application on this council-owned park on the borders…

Read More

Round Two In The Battle To Save The Warcop Commons In Cumbria From The Military

October 29, 2018

On Tuesday 30 October we resume our opposition to the applications of the Secretary of State for Defence to deregister the extensive Warcop commons(1). The applications, if granted, would cause Burton, Hilton and Murton Fells, in the Cumbrian North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to cease to be common land after centuries—perhaps even a…

Read More

Our clash with the military over threat to Cumbrian commons

August 29, 2018

We are set to clash with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) at the forthcoming public inquiry into the government’s application to deregister three large upland commons in Cumbria: Burton & Warcop fells, Murton and Hilton. This would turn the commons into private land and the application threatens to be the largest inclosure of common land…

Read More

Lake District’s plan review may endanger unique landscape

July 3, 2018

We fear that the review of the Local Plan for the Lake District National Park may result in an intensification of activities which are alien to the environment. The society has expressed these views in its response to the consultation on the plan. Says one of our case officers, Nicola Hodgson: ‘This is a unique…

Read More

Appeal court upholds village green registrations in Lancashire and Surrey

April 17, 2018

We are delighted that the Court of Appeal has upheld the registration of village greens at Moorside Fields in Lancaster and Leach Grove Wood at Leatherhead in Surrey.(1) The two cases were heard together and the court has dismissed an appeal from Lancashire County Council which, as the education authority, owns the 13-hectare Moorside Fields.…

Read More

We oppose zip-wire in Honister Pass, Lake District

March 29, 2018

The society is backing the Friends of the Lake District, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and other organisations and individuals in opposing the scheme. We have objected to an application from Honister Slate Mine for an aerial zip-wire over the Honister Pass in the Lake District National Park. The application is similar to one which the national…

Read More

We fight loss of open space in Bolsover

March 19, 2018

We have joined the campaign against a development on land north of Clowne, at Bolsover in Derbyshire. The society has objected to an outline planning application from Waystone Ltd for mixed-use development, including employment land, 1,800 residential dwellings, a retirement village, hotel and much more. We have backed CPRE Derbyshire and others in opposing the…

Read More

Delight at withdrawal of ‘Zipper-mere’ plan

February 21, 2018

We are highly relieved that Treetop Trek has withdrawn its planning application for a massive zip-wire development across Thirlmere, in the heart of the Lake District National Park. The proposals included eight cables stretching across the lake, with take-off and landing points, gantries, more car-parking provision and buildings. Treetop Trek claims it has withdrawn the…

Read More

Lake District zip-wire approval causes dismay

February 1, 2018

We are dismayed that the Lake District National Park Authority’s Development Control Committee has approved the Honister zip-wire.  The application was made by the Honister Slate Mine for an aerial zip-wire and other structures over the Honister Pass in the Lake District National Park The committee overturned the recommendation for refusal from national park planning…

Read More

Battle of Knutsford Heath

February 1, 2018

A new ‘Battle of Knutsford Heath’ is brewing in Cheshire East. TV chef Tom Kerridge plans to present ‘Pub in the Park’ on Knutsford Heath, which is protected common land, from 7 to 9 September 2018. We are calling for Knutsford Heath instead to be kept open to the public for quiet recreation. The society…

Read More