The tide has turned
Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, writes about worrying changes in legal opinion. Fifteen years ago the Sunningwell case clarified the law on village greens in the public interest. Since then a series of cases has gone the same way—but now the tide has turned. Already this year we have had three judgments about greens in…
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Fisherman’s Beach town green registration celebrated
After three years’ hard work, residents of Hythe, near Folkestone in Kent have obtained town green status for Fisherman’s Beach in the western end of the town. Shepway Environment and Community Network (SECN), set up by local resident David Plumstead some years ago, first applied for registration in 2010 and finally achieved registration by Kent…
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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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We exhort councillors to back riverside route for missing link in Thames Path
Stop press: Unfortunately, at its meeting on 5 June, the council agreed to pursue the roadside route and the car park on Bridge Gardens. We shall fight this. We have called on Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Councillors to vote today for a riverside route to fill the long-standing missing link in the Thames Path National…
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Remove unlawful fence on Nottinghamshire common
We hope that Nottinghamshire County Council will take enforcement action against an unlawful fence on Hanging Hill Lane Common, Normanton-on-Trent. The common is a long strip, consisting of Hanging Hill Lane and a broad verge on either side. The verge is used by walkers and for access to adjoining fields, and the fence encloses part…
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Supreme Court denies village green protection in Whitby
R (on the application of Barkas) v North Yorkshire County Council [2014] UKSC31 (summary, full judgment). The Supreme Court has ruled that land at Helredale, on the south-east side of Whitby in North Yorkshire, cannot be registered as a village green. In October 2007 the Helredale Neighbourhood Council applied to register 14 hectares of land…
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All-party support for village greens in Wales
There was all-party support in the National Assembly for Wales for maintaining the current laws for registering greens. The debate was initiated on 30 April by Suzy Davies, Conservative Assembly Member (AM) for South Wales West and Shadow Minister for Welsh Culture, Language and Tourism. Suzy asked the Minister for Natural Resources and Food, Alun…
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New green for residents of Talybont, Ceredigion
We are delighted that local people have succeeded in registering land at Talybont, Ceredigion, as a village green. The land, known as Patchyn Plant, is on the east side of the Maes-y-deri housing estate. The application for green status was made to Ceredigion Council by Ms Sue Jones-Hughes in November 2011 on the ground that…
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Reignite the campaigning Kinder trespassers’ zeal
‘We must reignite the campaigning zeal of the Kinder trespassers. Times are tough for countryside campaigners, but the spirit of Kinder will carry us through.’ So declared our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, at the Spirit of Kinder event to celebrate the 82nd anniversary of the famous mass trespass. This was held at Sheffield Town Hall…
Read MorePublic Right of Way to Crinnis Beach at Carlyon Bay
There is to be a Public Inquiry on Tuesday 10th June 2014 starting at 10.00 a.m. To be held in the Council Chamber at St Austell One Stop-Shop, 39 Penwinnick Road, St. Austell PL25 5DR. Cornwall Council has already found that this right exists, to mean high water mark. However, objections to this small, but…
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