We deplore Bristol Zoo’s selfish attitude towards the Downs
We have objected for the seventh time to Bristol Zoo’s application to use Bristol’s Downs for car-parking. The society has objected to this use since 1997 and each time the council has granted temporary permission. The current permission expires this month (December 2016). Before 1997 the zoo used the Downs for parking without seeking proper…
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Forest of Dean Council rejects criminal sanctions on shepherds
We are delighted that Forest of Dean District Council’s has rejected the proposed measure to make so-called irresponsible shepherds into criminals. The council has decided, on the chairman’s casting vote, not to invoke its proposed Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in the village of Bream, three miles north-west of Lydney in Gloucestershire. The council wishes…
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Cotswold path saved from closure
We have saved a 250-metre public footpath at Oddington from closure. Oddington is two miles east of Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire. The owner of Brans Cottage which adjoins the path applied to the highway authority, Gloucestershire County Council, to close the path. We were the sole objector. The extinguishment order was referred to the Planning Inspectorate…
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We oppose excessive measures to curb Forest sheep
We have objected to the Forest of Dean District Council’s proposed measure to make so-called irresponsible shepherds into criminals. The council has invited comments on its plans to impose a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in the village of Bream, three miles north-west of Lydney in Gloucestershire. The council wishes to address the problem of…
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We call for more broadleaves, and more discussion, on Dartmoor’s forest estate
We have called for greater replacement of conifer trees with native broadleaves in the Dartmoor forests, clearance of trees from ancient monuments, and an open debate about the future of the forest estate. We were responding to the Forestry Commission’s consultation on its Dartmoor Forest Plan, 2016-2026. We deeply regret that we were not informed…
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Better access to Ford Common, Dorset
We have helped to achieve an excellent outcome from SITA UK’s plans to extend its Binnegar Quarry, close to Puddletown Road three miles west of Wareham in Dorset. Because the development would affect Ford Common, owned by SITA, the company had to offer land in exchange for the common land it wished to quarry. SITA…
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Plan to sacrifice Lyde Green common withdrawn
We are delighted that NORFT Ltd has withdrawn its controversial plan to sacrifice Lyde Green Common near Pucklechurch, north-east of Bristol, and replace it with inferior land some distance away. NORFT, the owner of the common, had applied to the Planning Inspectorate to deregister and exchange Lyde Green. The Open Spaces Society, Emersons Green Town…
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Threat to Cornish bridleway
We have objected to an application to station 91 residential-park dwellings on land close to a public bridleway and common land, at Quintrell Downs, Colan, north Cornwall. The new residents would have to drive along the bridleway to gain access to the A392 road to the north. We oppose the development because it will generate…
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Safe crossings for Poole pedestrians
We have helped secure four crossings over the busy Shore Road at Poole, to enable walkers to get safely from the beachfront to the harbourside, using a popular footpath. These were achieved by our local correspondents Harry and Aimee Alexander who pursued the campaign for ten years. Says Harry: ‘After more than a decade of…
Read MoreWe fight loss of Lyde Green common on Bristol’s fringe
We have objected to plans from NORFT Ltd to sacrifice Lyde Green Common near Pucklechurch, north-east of Bristol, and replace it with inferior land some distance away. NORFT has applied to the Planning Inspectorate to deregister and exchange Lyde Green. We have objected because the proposed replacement land is of inferior quality to the common…
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