Saving an important route in Cwmcarn Forest, Caerphilly
Some months ago, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) made it known that as part of the plans to counteract the spread of Phytophthora ramorum (Larch disease) it would be felling all the larch trees in Cwmcarn Forest and closing the Forest Drive. Cwmcarn is alone in Wales in having a drive as well as cycling trails,…
Read MoreDefeat of Somerset solar farm
We are delighted that a planning inspector has rejected plans for a solar farm. The development was proposed by MS Power Projects Ltd at Ritherdens, Rumwell, on three fields about a kilometre west of Taunton in Somerset. Taunton Deane Borough Council’s planning committee overturned the officer’s recommendation and refused planning permission, but the developers appealed…
Read MoreWe slate Caerphilly Council
We have criticised Caerphilly County Borough Council for claiming that its legal duties to maintain public paths are merely discretionary. The council’s online survey on its budget, ‘help us to shape your services’, asks for the public’s views on what it calls ‘discretionary services’ It includes in these ‘Country parks, including public rights of way…
Read MoreHave you walked the Mariners’ Way at Lettaford, North Bovey, Devon?
We are helping our member Sally Button over a dispute concerning the public footpath (also the Mariners’ Way) through Lettaford. This is an ancient farm at North Bovey near Moretonhampstead, Devon (postcode TQ13 8RH). It appears that the definitive map is in error because the definitive route of footpath 6 is blocked by an ancient…
Read MoreCross-compliance on public paths should apply in Wales
We have urged the Welsh Government to require that landowners and occupiers who receive agri-environment funding keep the public paths on their land in good order. The society was responding to the government’s consultation on Common Agricultural Policy reform and cross-compliance. We have said that owners or occupiers who receive public funds for the management…
Read MoreGating plan for rural lane in Warwickshire
The society and the Warwickshire Ramblers have objected to a plan by Warwickshire County Council to put a locked gate across Tinkers Lane, Lapworth, south of the M40. The council has consulted us about making a gating order to reduce alleged crime and anti-social behaviour. We strongly oppose this because they have seen no evidence…
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Isle of Wight to have coastal access at last
We are delighted that the government has today (10 July) announced that the Isle of Wight will be included in the coastal-access provisions of Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The Act excludes from the coastal access process any island from which it is not possible to walk from the mainland. Such islands must be…
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Outdoor organisations call on MPs and peers to “champion outdoor recreation” for the good of the nation
Ten leading outdoor organisations are joining together in Westminster today (11 June) to urge parliamentarians to factor the benefits of outdoor recreation into their manifestos and policies ahead of the next general election. The event, organised by the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mountaineering, co-chaired by David Rutley MP…
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Residents of Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, win new green
Residents of Westgate-on-Sea, near Margate in Kent, have won a new village green, following four years of hard work and a public inquiry. The 2.44-acre field, consisting of rough grass with a wooded perimeter, has been enjoyed by local people for informal recreation since the end of the war. Sited north of Ursuline Drive, the…
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Our manifesto for green spaces
We have published our manifesto for the 2015 Westminster election. We are calling on politicians of all parties to support these policies. Good-quality paths and green spaces are vital to people’s well-being and they support the economy too. So we are urging politicians to adopt policies which protect and promote commons, greens, other open spaces…
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