Latest News

Bring on Wales’s new national park

December 20, 2024

We strongly support the new national park in north-east Wales. The society believes that the national park designation will benefit the splendid, varied landscape of this region, its wildlife and culture, and will help to promote responsible public access and enjoyment.  However, it has also called for the Welsh government to make sufficient funds available…

Read More

Call for new ‘People’s Charter’ on 75th anniversary of revolutionary national parks and access law

December 16, 2024

Today (16 December 2024), on the 75th anniversary of royal assent of the revolutionary National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, the organisations which collectively promoted that law, call for a new vision from government. Hailed as a People’s Charter, the 1949 act was to enable all citizens, no matter their background, to…

Read More

Government’s new planning policies give green spaces the cold shoulder 

December 12, 2024

We have expressed our fears for the future of open spaces in the government’s revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published today (12 December 2024).  Says Kate Ashbrook, our general secretary: ‘We called for legal protection and long-term maintenance of urban green space; standards for the amount of green space in development, and a duty on…

Read More

Mega-development on Kilvey Hill, Swansea, would cut a hole in a Persian carpet

October 23, 2024

We have objected strongly to the amended planning application from Swansea Skyline to convert Kilvey Hill, east of Swansea, into a commercial tourist-site.  The society considers the hill to be a much-loved local gem, which should not be sacrificed for mega-tourism. The proposed development would comprise, among other structures, gondola stations and chairlift infrastructure for…

Read More

Green-space gap in new planning policies

July 31, 2024

‘The planning system should give the creation and protection of green space and public paths the same priority as other infrastructure.  Sadly, this is not reflected in the proposed revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).’  So declared Nicola Hodgson, one of our case officers.  ‘This would have been a good opportunity to put green spaces,…

Read More

An extract from Open Space Magazine: reflecting on forty years

June 7, 2024

In the latest edition of Open Space magazine, Kate Ashbrook reflects on 40 years in her post as the general secretary of the Open Spaces Society.   Forty years on When I joined the Open Spaces Society as its general secretary 40 years ago, our world was very different, says Kate Ashbrook, our general secretary. We…

Read More

Don’t kill Kilvey Hill 

March 26, 2024

This was our message to Swansea Council at a rally on Sunday (24 March).  Kate Ashbrook, our general secretary, joined more than 300 local people on top of Kilvey Hill, north-east of Swansea at a rally against plans by Skyline Swansea Ltd for a vast tourist development, which includes a restaurant and visitor centre, skyswing,…

Read More

Path-block shock

February 22, 2024

In January, the BBC revealed the shocking results of its survey on the state of public paths in England and Wales.  Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, comments on these findings. Paths, it showed, are blocked at 32,000 points, that is one obstruction every four and a half miles—and the problems are growing. Seventy three of…

Read More

Our plan to secure urban green spaces for the public 

January 10, 2024

We made a host of recommendations to secure urban green spaces for public enjoyment.    These recommendations have been published by the House of Commons’ Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee, which last year conducted an inquiry into the ecological, environmental, and human benefits of green space, and the most effective solutions to making cities greener…

Read More

Toughening up

October 9, 2023

Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, writes of the need to get tough in these times of austerity. In September I spoke to the Gower Society, as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations. The society played an important role in securing Gower as the first area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) in 1956. And on its…

Read More