Latest News

Laying an information

February 7, 2024

Laying an information – how to prosecute someone in a magistrates’ court for a criminal offence on a town or village green The Open Spaces Society has been defending open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. Do you want to shape the future of paths and open spaces? We need your help to keep…

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What local councils can do for public access to town and countryside

February 19, 2023

What local councils can do for public access to town and countryside The Open Spaces Society has been defending open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. Do you want to shape the future of paths and open spaces? We need your help to keep our technical information, analysis & advice effective and up to…

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Tree-planting on commons

November 17, 2022

Tree-planting on commons Successive governments express a desire to increase tree-planting, with varying degrees of fulfilment. What do these commitments mean for commons in England and Wales? The suburban resident of the Home Counties might assume that all commons historically were woodland, for the cessation of grazing in the twentieth century has caused many to…

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Commons: Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006; getting land onto and off the commons and greens registers

September 28, 2022

Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006: getting land onto or off the commons and greens registers The Open Spaces Society has been defending open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. Do you want to shape the future of paths and open spaces? We need your help to keep our technical information, analysis &…

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Origins of sections 193 and 194 of The Law of Property Act 1925

May 13, 2022

Origins of sections 193 and 194 of The Law of Property Act 1925 The Law of Property Act 1922 modernised the law of real property. The Act abolished copyholds, the form of land tenure whereby tenants’ rights, including rights of common, were recorded by the manorial courts. The society was alarmed by this: when attempts…

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Getting Greens Registered

March 17, 2022

Getting Greens Registered An Open Spaces Society publication Getting Greens Registered-fourth edition The fourth edition of our manual Getting Greens Registered, published March 2022, is a step-by-step guide which assists you in deciding whether land is eligible for registration as a green and then, if you believe it is, how to go about applying for…

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Our Common Land

March 17, 2022

Our Common Land An Open Spaces Society publication The seventh edition of Our Common Land by Paul Clayden has been revised and updated to include the many changes in the law which have taken place since the previous edition in 2006. These include the bringing into force of part 1 of the Commons Act 2006,…

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Voluntary registration/dedication of land as a town or village green

April 8, 2021

The Open Spaces Society has been defending open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. Do you want to shape the future of paths and open spaces? We need your help to keep our technical information, analysis & advice effective and up to date – your support means we can employ expert caseworkers. Become a…

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Town or Village Green claimants preparation for and participation in public inquiries

January 19, 2021

The Open Spaces Society has been defending open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. Town or Village Green (TV) claimants preparation for and participation in public inquiries We look at matters that apply to the period in a green claim process after all the evidence has been gathered, the claim has been submitted and…

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Rights of Way: Requiring the highway authority to act on obstructed paths Section 130A of the Highways Act 1980

November 19, 2020

The Open Spaces Society has been defending open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. Do you want to shape the future of paths and open spaces? We need your help to keep our technical information, analysis & advice effective and up to date – your support means we can employ expert caseworkers. Become a…

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