Get your greens now, we urge Cambridgeshire residents
We have urged Cambridgeshire residents to act now and save their green spaces, by registering them as town or village greens before it is too late. Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, was giving the annual Octavia Hill Memorial Lecture in Wisbech on Sunday 4 December. Said Kate: ‘Octavia Hill was one of the early activists…
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We deplore proposed sale of Eastbourne’s downland, ‘the Crown Jewels’
Eastbourne Borough Council plans to sell more than 3,000 acres of its downland. This land is so treasured by the public that we have termed it ‘the Crown Jewels’. The society has sent a message of support to Keep Our Downs Public which is organising a public walk and rally* on Saturday (3 December) to…
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Threat to Harrogate’s ancient Stray
Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire plans to extend and expand the use of Harrogate Stray for commercial activities. The Stray, 80 hectares of open grassland embracing the town, has existed for centuries. Residents and visitors enjoy this beautiful green space for quiet recreation. The council is consulting the public on its proposals to weaken…
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Festival closure of internationally-acclaimed footpath
We have objected to plans by the Henley Festival for the temporary closure of the Thames Path National Trail in July 2017. Every year since 1998 the Festival has applied to Wokingham Borough Council, the highway authority, for the temporary closure of the path during the Festival, and the council has agreed. The Open Spaces…
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We win new green space and footpath for Witney, Oxfordshire
We have won a new town green and public footpath for the town of Witney in Oxfordshire. These are on land which is being developed by Richmond Care Villages (RCV) between Thorney Leys and Curbridge Road. RCV went ahead with their development, illegally obstructing Witney footpath 40 which they belatedly applied to move. The path…
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Norfolk outdoor activists slam county council’s failure to maintain public paths
Outdoor activists in Norfolk are angry that Norfolk County Council trumpets that it is third out of 28 councils for ‘satisfaction with its highways and transport services’, while ignoring the fact that for the last three years Norfolk has been in the bottom three or four for ‘satisfaction with public rights of way’ and this…
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Public invitation to view site of new paths and green in Witney, Oxfordshire
At the instigation of the Open Spaces Society, Richmond Villages have published the following advertisement in this week’s Witney Gazette inviting the public to visit its development site and see the position of two proposed new paths and a town green. PUBLIC NOTICE INVITATION TO THE PUBLIC The land between Thorney Leys and Curbridge Road is being…
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We fight development on Leyton green space
We have objected to a planning application for sports facilities on a green space at Ive Farm, Leyton in Waltham Forest. The development includes two outdoor sports pitches, a spring track, volleyball arena, pavilion, seating, floodlighting and car parking. We that this will suburbanise land which is an extensive green space enjoyed by local people…
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Our case officer’s diary
Our case officer Nicola Hodgson gives a snapshot of her work for the society, both in and out of the office. As case officer for commons, greens and open spaces over the last 17 years I have experienced a huge volume and variety of issues and shared some of the frustrations, challenges and successes of…
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We help defeat land swap for Limpenhoe village green, Norfolk
We have helped prevent the swap of part of Limpenhoe village green, ten miles south-east of Norwich in Norfolk. The green is in the Broads National Park. Cantley Parish Council proposed to remove 4,970 square metres of Limpenhoe village green from the register and offer in exchange only 1,500 square metres closer to the village…
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