The fight against massive potash-mine in North York Moors National Park
We have objected strongly to the application from York Potash Ltd to open a massive potash-mine within the North York Moors National Park. The mine is planned to be the largest in the world. The site for the mine head is at Sneaton, three miles south of Whitby, in the north-east part of the park.…
Read MoreNow you can walk the secret multi-million pound footpaths of Firle
But you will need your wellies on! Open Spaces Society member Chris Smith has created a walk highlighting the secret multi-million pound footpaths of Firle. You can find it on-line here. The Firle Estate, near Lewes in East Sussex, contains some of the most iconic walking landscape in the country, including the Firle Beacon stretch…
Read MoreWe say ‘no’ to the Lowthers
The society has once again objected to renewed plans by the Lowther Estate to develop White Moss Common next to the A591 between Rydal Water and Grasmere in the Lake District National Park. Last year the estate applied for a visitor centre and hierarchy of routes at the existing car-park but the Lake District National…
Read MoreWe call on landowner to stop destroying Anglesey common
We have called on Mrs Dilys Lowe, the owner of land at Glandwr Cottage, Glanrafon, Llangoed in Anglesey, to stop building a bungalow on registered common land. Mrs Lowe has planning permission for the bungalow but has been told by Anglesey County Council and others that the work is unlawful unless she obtains the consent…
Read MoreA black day for greens
We are devastated that the supreme court has today rejected the rights of local people to register West Beach at Newhaven in East Sussex as a village green. Five judges in the supreme court have upheld the appeal of Newhaven Port and Properties (NPP) Limited, overturning the decision in the court of appeal in March 2013…
Read MoreNew Forest solar farm rejected
The New Forest National Park Authority’s planning committee has unanimously rejected plans for an ugly solar ‘farm’ in the national park. The application was from MTS Exbury Solar Ltd for a solar farm on nine hectares of land east of Lepe Farm, Exbury. The society sent an objection to the national park planning authority urging…
Read MoreThe fight to stop green-belt solar farm
We are backing our member, the Mawdesley and Heskin Solar Farm Protest Group, in its fight against a solar farm in the Lancashire countryside. We are objecting to plans from M S Power Projects Ltd (MSP) for a solar farm on green belt land at Heskin, about a mile south of the town of Eccleston.…
Read MoreThames Path to be consigned to a rat run in Maidenhead
We are angry that the Thames Path National Trail is to follow Maidenhead’s Ray Mead Road rat run. On Wednesday 11 February Windsor and Maidenhead Borough’s planning committee approved the creation of a short footpath along Ray Mead Road instead of a riverside route for the Thames Path National Trail. The council had applied to…
Read MoreLake District fencing plan conflicts with special Act of Parliament
We believe that plans by United Utilities for 10 kilometres of fencing above Thirlmere in the heart of the Lake District National Park conflict with a special law for the area. Because the land is common, UU has applied for consent to the Planning Inspectorate for works on common land. The society believes that the…
Read MoreRetrospective application for works on Cornish common
We have objected to a retrospective application for works on Pendarves Woods Common, a mile south-west of Camborne in Cornwall. The application from Mr Robert Weedon is for part of a sand-school, parking areas and track, fuel pumps and tank, and post-and-rail fencing. The works were constructed over a period since 2008. Before anyone can…
Read More