Delight at rejection of horse complex in Chiltern valley
We are delighted that Wycombe District Council has refused an application for a private equestrian-development in the lovely Skirmett valley, in the heart of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Buckinghamshire. The plan was to demolish the buildings at Stud Farm (now pointlessly renamed Valentine Farm) and replace them with an equestrian complex…
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Dismay at refusal of village-green status for Cranbrook’s historic meadow
We are sorry to learn that the application to register the Long Field, Cranbrook, Kent, as a village green has been rejected following a public inquiry last September. The 5.2-acre Long Field is at the junction of Angley Road (A229) and Quaker Lane on the north-east side of Cranbrook. It is crossed by two public…
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Vital footpath-link at Halling is added to official map
We are delighted that a footpath across Halling Marsh close to the River Medway is to be added to the official map of public paths for all to enjoy. The 580-metre-long path will fill the gap in an attractive circular walk. The decision to record the footpath was made by an inspector from the Planning…
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Herne Bay Downs set to become a village green
The Downs at Herne Bay in Kent are set to be registered as a village green. An inspector, appointed by Kent County Council, has recommended to the council that the land be registered. The application was made by Phil Rose of the Friends of the Downs in September 2009. Because the landowner, Canterbury City Council,…
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We fight threat to Chiltern landscape
We have objected to a private equestrian-development in the lovely Skirmett valley, in the heart of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Buckinghamshire. The society has sent an objection to Wycombe District Council. The plan is to demolish the buildings at Stud Farm (now pointlessly renamed Valentine Farm) and replace them with an…
Read MoreWe oppose new golf-course on common land
We have objected to a planning application, from Old Thorns Golf and Country Club, to create a new golf-course on a heathland common near Liphook in the South Downs National Park. We consider the golf course will be highly damaging to the superb landscape of the area and people’s enjoyment of it. Common land is…
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Public Inquiry on Westfield Playing Fields, Harpenden, Hertfordshire
This will take place on December 10th. The Playing Field is a landlocked 2 hectare site, and has been used by local people for over a hundred years for sports and informal recreation. The land comprises the last remaining part of what was formerly Westfield Common. WAG (Westfield Action Group) under its Chair, Harpenden resident…
Read MoreEssex seafront open space saved for public enjoyment
Essex County Council has registered an open space at Brighton Road, Holland-on-Sea near Clacton-on-Sea as a town green. The application for green status was made by Mrs Sharon Bennett, a member of the society, in 2009 on the grounds that local people had used the land for informal recreation, without asking permission or being stopped,…
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Manège would suburbanise South Downs countryside
We have objected to a planning application for a manège at Sparkes Farm next to Ebernoe Common, three miles north of Petworth in West Sussex. The development comes hot on the heels of other planning applications at this site, for a stable complex and barn. The application is in the South Downs National Park and…
Read MoreMuch-loved Dorking footpath to be moved
A beautiful footpath near Dorking, in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is to be moved. The decision was made by a planning inspector, Mr Michael Aldous, following a public inquiry last July. The Open Spaces Society was represented as an objector by its local member Michèle Kohler. The footpath, number 111, ran…
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