Historic Gloucestershire field is saved as a village green
We are delighted that our member, the Nympsfield Village Green Action Group, has succeeded in registering The Leaze in Nympsfield, six miles south-west of Stroud in Gloucestershire, as a village green. Mr Ian Crossland of the group applied to Gloucestershire County Council, the greens registration authority, to register The Leaze in 2009. At that time…
Read More
New tool-kit to save open spaces
We have launched our campaign to save England’s much-loved open spaces. We have published an open spaces tool-kit for communities to protect their green spaces, and have called on planning authorities to respond positively to requests to save local spaces. Our tool-kit consists of three handbooks: How to win local green space through neighbourhood plans;…
Read More
We celebrate our 150-year struggle for open spaces
We have published our new book, Saving Open Spaces, the story of our 150-year struggle for commons, greens, open spaces and paths. It is written by our general secretary for 31 years, Kate Ashbrook. The society was formed in 1865 as the Commons Preservation Society to rescue London’s threatened commons—Hampstead Heath, Wimbledon Common and Epping…
Read More
Norfolk footpath to stay put
We are delighted that, thanks to our objection, a public footpath in Norfolk’s Breckland District will remain on its ancient, direct route. The footpath is at Lyng, four miles south of Reepham. Breckland District Council wanted to move the route which runs past the property Patholme. The council was concerned that the existence of the…
Read More
A 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 More
Decisions for Haven Green common, Ealing
Our member, the Friends of Haven Green (FoHG), is pleased to report two decisions from the Planning Inspectorate concerning Haven Green, Ealing. The first stems from last September’s public inquiry into Ealing Council’s planned changes to the green in preparation for Crossrail. These would have widened the pavements, and created a counter-flow cycle lane on the east…
Read More
Thames 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 More
Lake 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 MoreWe fight land swap for Beverley’s ancient common
We have objected to plans by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to swap land on Beverley Westwood Common for a site at Fishwick Mill, to the eastern border of the common. Because commons are special, the law (section 16 of the Commons Act 2006) requires that suitable exchange land is provided when a common…
Read More