Latest News

Coastal land in Cornwall registered as common 

March 18, 2024

We welcome Cornwall Council’s decision to grant two applications to register common land on the north coast of Cornwall. One of the applications was made by the society and the other by Tomas Hill who has a keen interest in common land.  The land, which is owned by the National Trust, comprises just over 170…

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Land restored as common on Dartmoor 

February 29, 2024

We welcome the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to grant the society’s two applications to register as common three parcels of rough grassland near Blackdown Common, Mary Tavy, in the Dartmoor National Park.  Two of the parcels are adjacent to each other, east and south of Willsworthy car park.  Together, these amount to about 33 hectares.  The…

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Court threat causes Cornwall Council to climb down over unrecorded path 

February 21, 2024

We are delighted that Cornwall Council has capitulated in the face of court action, led by the British Horse Society (BHS), against the council’s failure to register applications to add public paths to the official map as required by law. [1] The BHS had applied in September 2023 for a path at Altarnun (11 kms…

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Dartmoor backpack-camping case is to go to Supreme Court 

January 11, 2024

We are deeply dismayed that the Supreme Court has granted the Dartmoor landowners, Alexander and Diana Darwall, leave to appeal in the Dartmoor backpack-camping case.  The society intervened in support of the Dartmoor National Park Authority in the Court of Appeal, and it was delighted when that court ruled that the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 gave…

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We help to save Sneedhams Green common, Gloucestershire, from encroachment 

December 21, 2023

We welcome an inspector’s decision to refuse commons consent for works on Sneedhams Green in Gloucestershire.  Black Box Planning Ltd, on behalf of the G W Hughes Will Trust, had applied to the Planning Inspectorate for approval to construct access ways across the common, which is south of Matson and close to the M5.  The…

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Land at Garrow Lane, Mullion, registered as common

December 21, 2023

We have welcomed the decision of Cornwall Council to grant our application to register as common approximately 0.63 hectares of land.  The strip of mixed vegetation is situated on Garrow Lane, just south of Mullion.  In 1968, an application was made to register the land as common land but was subject to an objection.  The…

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User groups save Gloucestershire highway 

November 6, 2023

A precious public ‘green road’ has been protected by user groups combining efforts to resist Gloucestershire County Council’s application to a magistrates’ court to extinguish public rights[1] over Hanover Green Road[2]  in the parish of Redmarley D’Abitot. Cheltenham magistrates found the track to be necessary for the public to use, particularly on foot and by…

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We rescue part of ancient Knighton Heath, Dorset 

November 6, 2023

We have welcomed a decision to see off a threat to Knighton Heath in Dorset.  In 1957, parts of Winfrith and Knighton Heaths were compulsorily acquired by the government for use as an atomic energy establishment. A small part (one third of a hectare) of Knighton Heath, south of Gibraltar Cottage and not required for…

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Land at St Breward, Cornwall, registered as common  

September 12, 2023

The Planning Inspectorate has granted the society’s application to register as common land approximately 1.25 hectares of waste in St Breward parish, Cornwall.  The land is situated about a kilometre north-east of the village of St Breward and is sandwiched between two parcels of existing registered common land.  The land comprises ferns, bushy undergrowth and…

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We free Cornish footpath from illegal obstruction

August 31, 2023

Through threat of legal action, we have achieved the removal of several illegal obstructions on a public footpath at St Ervan, three miles south-west of Padstow.  Lucy Wilson, our local correspondent for North Cornwall, threatened to go to court for the removal of two unlawful gates on St Ervan footpath 16, south of Treglinnick Farm. …

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