Fight to save country park from devastation
We have joined local campaigners including the Friends of Ringwood Forest in their battle to stop precious recreation land on the Hampshire/Dorset border from being carved up for mineral extraction and then becoming a waste dump. The site, known as Purple Haze, is west of the B3081, in the Moors Valley Country Park between Verwood…
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The Open Spaces Society’s views on Defra’s consultation on the registration of new village greens, September 2011
We are deeply concerned about this consultation. We have asked our members for their views and are preparing a detailed response before the closing date of 17 October. In particular, our concerns are as follows. 1. A package The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) appears to be presenting a package of proposals,…
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Access bodies launch Lancashire project to rescue lost commons
The Open Spaces Society and the British Horse Society have launched a joint project to rescue thousands of acres of lost common land and record them for public use. We are funding Steve Byrne to research land in the Lancashire area that was omitted from the commons registers in the late 1960s and early 1970s…
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Trailblaze
We have recently been contacted by members of the Open Spaces Society who are unhappy about the Trailblaze project which is currently being trialled by Natural England on eight national trails. The society, while generally welcoming the wider use of paths, does have some concerns about this initiative which are broadly as follows: 1. the…
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Unlawful fence across Brecon Beacons commons must go
The Welsh Government has refused retrospective consent for a four-and-a-half-mile-long fence across common land in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The fence runs from near Pontsticill Reservoir in the south, crossing the hillside via Upper Neuadd Reservoir, passing just to the east of the famous summits of Pen y Fan and Cribyn and then cutting…
Read MorePlans withdrawn for 13 wind-turbines in tranquil Lune Valley
FELLS (Friends of Eden, Lakeland and Lunesdale Scenery), who have fought hard for over a decade to preserve the unspoiled tranquillity of the Lune Valley from its source in the Howgill Fells to the sea at Lancaster, are delighted that Community Windpower Ltd has withdrawn its appeal for the 13-turbine wind-farm development on Claughton and…
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Long-service award for Peter Newman
The society’s trustees have made an award to Peter Newman for achieving 25 years on our board. They presented Peter with a blotter at their meeting this week, to thank him both for his long service to the committee and as a campaigner for public paths in the Welsh Marches. Peter lives and works in…
Read MoreGo Ape gets go-ahead at Lever Park
Chorley Council has given retrospective consent to Adventure Forest Ltd for a Go Ape development in the historic Lever Park at Rivington in Lancashire. The consent is for two zip-wire landing sites in the park which were constructed without the necessary planning permission. We opposed the development because it conflicts with the Liverpool Corporation Act…
Read MoreGovernment’s ‘red-tape challenge’ focuses on environment
Please respond to the government’s red-tape challenge which, until 21 September, focuses on the environment. You can comment here . Government is consulting on the abolition of regulations which crucially affect our work on open spaces and paths, such as those relating to commons, open access, public rights of way, national parks and areas of outstanding…
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Our open day at Northwick Park
On Saturday 3 September the society held its open day at Northwick Park, in the London Borough of Brent. It was hosted by our feisty Northwick Park Group at St Cuthbert’s Hall and 34 people attended. Margaret Roake from the Northwick Park Group gave us a short history of Harrow. She spoke of how Harrow became popular as commuter…
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