Major victory for green spaces of Wales
The Welsh Government has decided not to ape England’s village-greens law. In December 2013 we learnt that the Welsh Government was proposing, in its Planning (Wales) Bill, to copy the provisions of England’s egregious Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 for greens. In other words, it proposed that applications for greens should be outlawed when land had been identified for planning,…
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We fight fence on limestone beauty-spot
We are fighting an application from the Farleton Knott Commoners’ Association for a 550-metre fence along the west side of Puddlemire Lane across Farleton Knott common, in Cumbria. Farleton Knott, close to the M6 three miles east of Milnthorpe, is a limestone hill of outstanding natural beauty and interest for its geology and flora and…
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Welsh village greens rescued from damaging law-change
We are delighted to have helped stop the Planning (Wales) Act from making devastating changes to village-green law. The Planning (Wales) Act, which was finalised yesterday (19 May), was amended during its passage through the Welsh Assembly, thanks to the society’s campaign. Assembly Members reversed several draconian measures which would have severely restricted the public’s…
Read MoreHenley RBL learns about Open Spaces Society
‘The national Open Spaces Society has plenty to keep it busy here in Henley-on-Thames,’ said the society’s case officer, Nicola Hodgson, speaking at a lunch organised by the Henley & Peppard Branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL). Founded in 1865, the society celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Nicola told the RBL how the…
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Land at Breaky Bottom open to the public after OSS action
Action by the society’s Local Correspondent, Chris Smith, has resulted in more land at Breaky Bottom Vineyard, Sussex being opened to the public. The society objected to an order which would have continued the restriction. As a result part of the land has been made available for public access. The public access area is shown…
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The commons’ people
This article by our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, was published in the spring 2015 issue of the Campaign to Protect Rural England‘s magazine Countryside Voice. The name ‘common’ is scattered all over maps of England. But that does not mean the land is common today—rather the word is a memento from a time when much of…
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Happy birthday Pennine Way
Fifty years ago today, on 24 April 1965, the Pennine Way was opened. This was the first of Britain’s long-distance paths (now called national trails in England and Wales) and the event took place on Malham Moor with the Minister of Land and Natural Resources, Fred Willey, in attendance. The path was the inspiration of…
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We object to ugly tower above Shepherd’s Bush Common
We have objected to an application from Dorsett Hospitality International to demolish the existing former Walkabout building and replace it with a 16-storey tower, next to Shepherd’s Bush Common in west London. We consider that this ugly tower would dominate the green space of Shepherd’s Bush. It would have an overpowering and unpleasant influence on…
Read MoreLocal Green Space Designation
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published by the Department for Communities and Local Government in March 2012 provides communities with a means of protecting local green areas as a local green space. Read more here. This will enable communities, in particular circumstances, to protect areas of land that are of value to them, through…
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We fight access track across historic common
We have objected to plans for an access track across common land at Newbiggin, near Penrith in Cumbria. The common is known as ‘public watering place’ and has a number of springs with a series of ancient stone troughs and culverts. The common was featured in the Friends of the Lake District’s Our Green Space…
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