Fight to save Cornish rail-crossing
We have joined the campaign to save the Mexico Inn rail crossing, at Long Rock near Penzance in Cornwall, from closure. The pedestrian crossing provides an important short-cut for walkers. If it is closed the alternative route is nearly a kilometre long. Cornwall Council and Network Rail want to close the crossing on alleged safety…
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Somerset ‘sun farm’ near nursery-rhyme hill
We have joined the battle against a solar farm at Kilmersdon, near Radstock in Somerset. The Pegasus Group has recently confirmed the development boundary for the 35-acre site at New Tyning Farm, for 25 years. The development will be an eyesore in this lovely area. The site is close to Jack and Jill Hill, named…
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We call on Bristol’s Downs Committee to revoke zoo-parking licence
Today (22 April) we shall to call on Bristol’s Downs Committee to revoke the licence it granted in January for the Downs to be used as zoo parking for a further five years. We have also called for the Committee’s role to be reviewed. Our local member Julie Boston will speak about this at the…
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Charlton Common inquiry adjourned
The public inquiry into a new access-road across Charlton Common in South Gloucestershire opened yesterday (9 April) and was immediately adjourned. The room at the BAWA Club, Filton, was overflowing with objectors from Southmead, Brentry and Henbury, who had not been consulted about the plans and who were angry at what was proposed. The inspector,…
Read MoreGreen status won for Launceston open space
A threatened open space adjoining Woburn Road, on the south side of Launceston, Cornwall, has been registered as a village green, following a public inquiry last February. The application was made by Mr Philip Wagstaff on behalf of the Woburn Residents’ Association. We helped the association with its claim and are delighted with the result.…
Read MoreFootpaths at Cleeve, North Somerset, saved from alteration
Cleeve Parish Council, a member of the Open Spaces Society, and our local correspondent for North Somerset, John Ives, have succeeded in getting an Inspector to reject a proposal to move several footpaths at Main Road, Cleeve, two miles north-east of Congresbury. Originally the highway authority, North Somerset District Council, sought to overcome a longstanding…
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Common land reclaimed at Zennor, Cornwall
Carn Galva Common, west of Zennor in west Cornwall, has been reclaimed as registered common land, using legislation which is being pioneered in Cornwall (part 1 of the Commons Act 2006). Following a public inquiry last month, planning inspector Mrs Helen Slade ruled that the land should be recorded on the commons register. Carn Galva Common…
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A battlefield at Cramber Tor – objectors warn
The Dartmoor National Park Authority will decide the future of military training at Cramber Tor, south-west Dartmoor, at its meeting on Friday (1 February). The military wants to continue using 848 hectares at Cramber Tor for ‘dry’ training, on a permanent basis. This training involves battlefield simulation exercises that include the use of pyrotechnics, blank…
Read MoreGloucestershire poultry farm threatens ancient highway
We have objected to plans for a poultry farm in open countryside at Starveall Farm, Ashchurch, near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire. The society has sent its objection to Tewkesbury Borough Council because of the effect the development would have on an ancient public path. Says Michael Hill, a member of the society who lives nearby: ‘I…
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Mendip Council rejects ‘sun farm’ in rural Somerset
Mendip District Council’s planning board yesterday roundly rejected a planning application from AEE Renewables for a solar farm close to public footpaths at Doulting, east of Shepton Mallet, in the heart of rural Somerset. The application was for 22,000 solar panels, security fencing and associated equipment on the slopes of Ingsdons Hill about a mile…
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