We fight development on Hampshire common
We have objected to an application from Mr Christopher Ball to build three houses and an access road on Odiham Common in Hampshire. The land, at Potbridge, is registered common land. Any development on common land requires the consent of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in addition to any planning…
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Our dismay at Durham County Council’s proposed common-land swap
We have objected strongly to an application from Durham County Council to deregister part of The Sands common in the city centre in order to build a new council headquarters, and to offer in exchange land to the north of the common but quite separate from it. The application, under section 16 of the Commons…
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The meaning of ‘curtilage’
On 12 June this year, inspector Alan Beckett granted an application to deregister around 46 hectares of Blackbushe aerodrome at Yateley Common. The application, made by Blackbushe Airport Ltd (BAL), was made under paragraph 6 of schedule 2 to the Commons Act 2006, on the basis that the land was ‘covered by a building or…
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Leigh Common saved from development
Through court action the society has saved part of Leigh Common from developers. Leigh Common is a nine-hectare woodland and grassland nature reserve in Colehill, near Wimborne—the first common land in Dorset to be registered in 1967 and given permanent protection. In 2016 developers Gleeson Developments Ltd applied to Dorset County Council (now Dorset Council)…
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We help to save part of Hertfordshire common
We are delighted that we have helped to save part of a Hertfordshire common. The land is a wide roadside verge of High Street, in the village of Bovingdon, four miles south-west of Hemel Hempstead. Dacorum Borough Council wanted to use 140 square metres of the common for six, surfaced, car-parking bays, near the junction…
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Barratt’s backs down over future of Leigh Common, Dorset
We have prevailed in a High Court action to halt further development of Leigh Common. Leigh Common is a 9-hectare woodland and grassland nature reserve in Colehill, near Wimborne—the first in Dorset to be registered in 1967 and given permanent protection. In 2016 developers Gleeson Developments Ltd applied to Dorset County Council to deregister Leigh…
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The Canyons are saved
We are delighted that the popular Canyons, near Pontypool in Torfaen, have been saved from devastation. The Minister for Housing and Local Government in Wales, Julie James, has refused an appeal from Peakman Ltd for the extraction of aggregates and construction of an access road. This would have required the removal of part of Mynydd…
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Viscar Common, Cornwall, restored to commons register
We are delighted that Cornwall Council has granted our application to restore Viscar Common, in the Cornish parish of Wendron, to the common-land register. The half-hectare common is north-east of the lane leading to Viscar, and is owned by Wendron Parish Council. The application was made by Tomas Hill, one of our consultants who are…
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Village greens in the balance warns Open Spaces Society
‘Our green spaces are under unprecedented threat as the law on town and village greens is in the balance.’ So declared the Open Spaces Society’s chairman, Chris Beney, at the society’s annual general meeting in London on Thursday (11 July). ‘Only recently the courts ruled that 380 square metres at Vowley View, Wootton Bassett in…
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Town greens should be integral to development
‘Developers should be required to dedicate land as a town or village green whenever they are given planning permission for a development.’ So said our general secretary Kate Ashbrook, speaking at a debate organised by CPRE London on Your right to the city—do we need an urban right to roam? on Thursday (23 May). Kate…
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