Posts by danbaltic
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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreLeigh 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)…
Read MoreLen Clark, 1916 – 2019
Our vice-president Len Clark has died aged 103. Len was a pillar of strength to, and wise critic of, numerous organisations: the Youth Hostels Association (YHA), National Trust, Campaign for National Parks and ourselves. In 1978 he became our commons liaison officer, a roving researcher who travelled England and Wales on his Honda 50 motorbike…
Read MoreEdgar Powell, 1936 – 2019
Our vice-president Edgar Powell has died aged 83. Edgar was our local correspondent for parts of Herefordshire and Worcestershire for 24 years (1992-2016), a trustee (1995-2003) and vice-chairman (2002-3). It is impossible to quantify all he did for the society and our members. Edgar was born in Colwall, Herefordshire but spent most of his life…
Read MoreWe 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…
Read MoreWe save Herefordshire path from diversion
Our local correspondent Peter Newman has saved a path at Hope-under-Dinmore, four miles south of Leominster in Herefordshire. Network Rail and Herefordshire Council wanted to replace a footpath, HD4, which crosses the Shrewsbury to Hereford railway line at grade, with a route to the north which passes under the railway and is used by vehicles.…
Read MoreHelipad on Northumberland common
We have objected to a planning application from the East Allenheads Estate which would damage part of Allendale Common in Northumberland. The application is for a helicopter-landing area with concrete hard-standing. The applicant claims that this is a retrospective application to re-surface an existing helicopter landing, but the Open Spaces Society and other objectors argue…
Read MoreA hand up from Glover
The report of the English landscapes review, led by Julian Glover, was published on 21 September 2019. We submitted evidence in 2018. The review covered national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs). It recognises the great importance of these landscapes and the affection for them, while noting that their founding mission has been…
Read MoreChanges to Cornwall’s common-land register
We are delighted that a planning inspector has granted two of the society’s applications to restore parts of Cornwall’s commons to the register. These are Cosgarne or Twelveheads Common near Chacewater and Maenporth Beach at Falmouth. The grounds of the applications were that both areas should have become finally registered at the time of the…
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