Make 2017 the Year of the Village Green
We have called on local authorities and developers throughout England and Wales to make 2017 the Year of the Village Green, by voluntary registering their land as greens. The society urges developers to include registered village greens within their sites so that local people have a guaranteed green space for recreation which is preserved for…
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Our new activist for Cheshire East
We have appointed Mr Chris Meewezen as our local correspondent for Cheshire East. Chris will be the society’s eyes and ears, keeping a close watch on paths, commons, greens and open spaces in the area and intervening as necessary. Chris, who lives at Wheelock near Sandbach, has until recently been footpath secretary for the Ramblers’…
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Margaret Bowdery, Berkshire path-campaigner
We are sorry to report the recent death of Margaret Bowdery, a long-standing member of the society who lived in Maidenhead. Margaret was so shocked at the state of the paths around Maidenhead when she moved here in 1964 that she called a public meeting and launched the East Berkshire Ramblers’ Group. She served as…
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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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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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We oppose public-path changes in Meopham, Kent
We have objected to plans from a landowner to move public footpaths onto inferior routes, to accommodate a vineyard, at Meopham in Kent. We are backing our member the Meopham and District Footpaths Group in fighting the proposals. The landowner, Mr G Bassi, says that he bought the land with the intention of expanding his…
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Damaging development in the heart of the Chiltern Hills
We have objected to plans from the Well Place Manor Trust to build a private equestrian development in an unspoilt valley in the heart of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site, at Skirmett in Bucks, has been the subject of many previous planning applications, most of which have been rejected by Wycombe…
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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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