People power
So often success depends on the power of people coming together, writes our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook. Whether they are saving Bristol’s downs from car-parking, protecting London’s commons from commercial exploitation, or winning access to Worthing’s hinterland, the campaigning clout of local people is fundamental. And it always has been—witness the mass trespasses on Bolton’s…
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Piddle Valley bridleway
In the Piddle Valley, north of Dorchester in Dorset, a 2.5-mile bridleway has been a historic link between the three villages of Piddletrenthide, White Lackington, and Piddlehinton. Today it is in a parlous state. The Piddle Path Action Team writes of its efforts to restore it. The bridleway today is in places impassable for much…
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Much ado about nothing
Our Coventry local correspondent John Hall, with assistance from one of our case officers, Hugh Craddock, exposes the sloppy approach to rights-of-way matters by the National Transport Casework Team (NTCT), and persuades it to put things right. In March, the NTCT proposed to make two orders under section 247 of the Town and Country Planning…
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NEW Giving Green gift book bundles
We have partnered with Saraband, the Salford based award-winning independent publisher, as part of a Christmas fundraising initiative. The company represents authors who write about UK landscapes, wildlife, culture and folk traditions. Their titles cover fiction and non-fiction and have included a Booker Prize shortlist entry, the Wainright Prize for nature writing and the Robert…
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Budget does nothing for public access
We are deeply disappointed by the government’s budget, announced on 27 October. We had hopes that it would fund more and better public access, in town and country, in recognition of the effect of the pandemic which has made everyone appreciate the value of outdoor recreation for health and well-being. The government, in its flagship…
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Ancient highway recorded in Norfolk
We are delighted that a public path has been added to the official (definitive) map of Norfolk’s public rights of way, thanks to the work of our local correspondent, Ian Witham. The mile-long route runs between the B1145 road (between North Walsham and Mundesley) to the sea just south of Mundesley. It has been recorded…
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Oyster Wharf stays public
We have welcomed news that Oyster Wharf, part of the seafront at Mumbles, will remain a public place. In 2017, application was made by Nextcolour Ltd to Swansea Council for planning permission for development at Oyster Wharf, in which the wharf was described as: ‘Area to be closed off to vehicles…and used as public realm/piazza’. …
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The Society celebrates the strength of people power
‘So often success depends on the power of people coming together.’ So writes Kate Ashbrook, the general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, in Opinion (page 1) of the society’s magazine Open Space, published today (25 October). Kate cites recent examples in which the society has been involved: saving Bristol’s downs from car-parking by the Downs…
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Placemaking Wales Charter First Year Anniversary
A year on since the Welsh government and the Design Commission for Wales collaborated with the Placemaking Wales partnership to support the development of high-quality places, there are just short of 100 signatories from the public, private and not for profit sector that share this committment for the people of Wales. As one of those…
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Our new advocate in Northamptonshire and Ceredigion
We have appointed Gerald Davies as our local correspondent for the old Daventry district of Northamptonshire, and five communities in Ceredigion. It may seem a strange combination but while Gerald lives in Brixworth, about five miles north of Northampton, his heart is in mid Wales. Gerald was raised on a farm in mid Wales and…
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