Latest News

Cavendish village green in Suffolk is voted liveliest in country

April 19, 2010

TruGreen, the world’s largest professional lawn care company, together with The Sunday Telegraph, Life, has named Cavendish Village Green in Suffolk the liveliest in the country. Entrants were invited to send a picture and 50 words on why they thought their nominated village green was the liveliest in the country to the judges at TruGreen…

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Englefield Green village green is saved

April 16, 2010

We are celebrating the decision by Helen Slade of the Planning Inspectorate, on behalf of the environment secretary, to refuse consent for works on Englefield Green village green in Surrey. The land is widely used by local people, and the inspector confirmed that the public have the right to enjoy the green for air and…

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Beechcroft Manor open space saved from development

April 7, 2010

We are delighted that land at Beechcroft Manor, Weybridge in Surrey, has been saved.  The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government rejected the planning appeal by Linthaven Ltd, following a public inquiry last February.  Linthaven appealed against Elmbridge Borough Council’s refusal to give consent for a block of three houses, with access drive…

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Ten-point plan for candidates

March 29, 2010

We have published our ten-point plan for candidates in the general election, and have asked them to sign up to it. To see the names of those who have said they support it, in whole or part, click here. Action plan 1. A right of appeal, and a requirement to provide suitable alternative land, before public…

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High Court win for Warneford Meadow campaigners

March 24, 2010

A High Court judge has ruled that the 20-acre Warneford Meadow in east Oxford can be registered as a town green. Judge Waksman QC rejected the application for judicial review from the landowner, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Trust.  The trust challenged Oxfordshire County Council’s decision in April 2009 to register the land…

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New green in Highworth

March 22, 2010

Local campaigners have won a new village green at Barra Close, Highworth near Swindon.  However, approximately 5,000 square feet of the land had been fenced off during a neighbour dispute, and this part of the land still has to be registered as village green.  This week the fences were removed and now local campaigners are…

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Barratt’s pre-emptive strike

March 11, 2010

We have deplored Barratt Homes’ action last week to bulldoze The Ditches, a much-loved children’s play area, at Merton Green in Caerwent.  The Merton Green Action Group has applied to register the open space as a village green. Monmouthshire County Council, the greens registration authority, will consider the application next week and there is likely…

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Oppressive fence to go

March 1, 2010

South Oxfordshire District Council has refused retrospective planning permission to a close-boarded fence, nearly two metres high, alongside the public footpath at Deanacre, off Deanfield Road in Henley-on-Thames. Mr Philip Turner, of 2 Deanacre applied to the council to legitimise the fence which was erected unlawfully, without planning permission, last year.  It replaced a lower,…

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Liveliest Village Green in 2010

February 17, 2010

The society is delighted to be working with TruGreen Professional Lawn Care and the Sunday Telegraph in promoting the first-ever ‘Liveliest Village Green’ competition. All three of us invite you to join our celebration of our wonderful village greens. If you think your village green is the liveliest in the UK, all you have to…

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Battle to save West Durrington Greenspace

February 4, 2010

We are backing local campaigners in their fight to save ancient woodlands from development, at Titnore Lane, West Durrington near Worthing in West Sussex.  We have written to Paul Yallop, leader of Worthing Borough Council, and James Appleton, head of planning, urging them to reject the plans for 1,250 houses and other buildings there. The…

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