We join fight to save Reigate’s special countryside
We have objected strongly to the proposal in Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s core strategy to demote the special landscape designation of green belt on the west side of Reigate in Surrey. The society, with many other objectors such as Save Reigate’s Green Belt, opposes the plan to redesignate as Sustainable Urban Extension the area…
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Open spaces to lose democratic protection
The government proposes to remove democratic protection from open spaces threatened with compulsory purchase. The House of Lords will debate these plans, which are in clause 22 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, on Monday (4 February). We are urging members of the House of Lords to oppose clause 22 because it puts open spaces…
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Can their lordships save our greens?
We have called on members of the House of Lords to support amendments to the Growth Bill which will prevent the government from emasculating the process for registering land as town or village greens. The House of Lords is set to debate these tomorrow (Wednesday 30 January). Land can be registered as a town or…
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Last chance to grab your greens – do it now!
Our new-year message. We have made a last-minute call to communities to apply to register land as town or village greens. The government’s Growth and Infrastructure Bill, currently in the House of Lords, emasculates the process. The government falsely claims that greens registration is a barrier to development and wants to stop this. Clause 14…
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What future for Helredale’s open space?
The future of the playing field at Helredale, Whitby, North Yorkshire, is in the balance. Following a disappointing ruling in the court of appeal in October, Helredale Neighbourhood Council (HNC) is hoping to obtain permission to appeal to the supreme court. Read more about it here.
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Open space commendation goes to Calderdale’s inspiring individual
We have given a special, individual commendation to Jade Smith of Mytholmroyd, Calderdale, for her work on the restoration and improvement of Mytholmroyd’s Memorial Garden. The award was presented on Saturday 1 December as part of Upper Calder Valley’s annual ‘Valley of Lights’ celebration. Jean Macdonald, our vice-chairman, said: ‘We introduced this award last year…
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Call for open space champions
We have launched our 2013 Open Space Award and are calling for nominations for open space champions. We want to encourage nominations for projects which support our aims to protect, increase, enhance and champion common land, town and village greens, open spaces and public rights of way in England and Wales, and the public’s right…
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Government failing in ambition to be ‘greenest ever’
The Coalition Government is failing on its own commitments to Britain’s natural environment: that’s the public’s view from a survey organised by Wildlife and Countryside Link (Link), a coalition of 39 leading environmental charities. Of those surveyed, less than a quarter (23%) think the Government is doing enough to protect our landscapes and wildlife—on land…
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OSS on BBC Countryfile
The society was featured on BBC One Countryfile on 11 November, arguing that the government’s proposed changes to village-greens law in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill are over the top, and will kill off genuine applications as well as dealing with vexatious ones. You can watch the programme here.
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Changes to village green law will not fit the bill
The excessive measures in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill to change the law on registering land as a town or village green should be reconsidered. So say the Open Spaces Society and the Campaign to Protect Rural England who, among others, are campaigning to amend clause 13 of the Bill. Without changes, the Bill would…
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