Outdoor enthusiasts speak out over Public Bodies Bill
Twelve organisations, representing a broad range of people who care about and enjoy the great outdoors, have today (4 February) issued a statement expressing their concerns about the Public Bodies Bill, currently in the House of Lords. The statement draws attention to changes proposed to the Forestry Commission and the National Park Authorities which own…
Read MoreChadderton Field, Newcastle, wins village green protection
We have congratulated the Friends of Chadderton Field on the successful registration of a new village green. The green is in the Chapel House area in the City of Newcastle. Newcastle City Council, the registration authority, agreed on 1 February to register the land, which consists of a grassed area. The application was made on…
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Losehill Hall sold off: we have reservations
We have mixed feelings about the announcement from the Peak District National Park Authority that Losehill Hall, the world-famous national park learning centre, is to be sold to the Youth Hostels Association (YHA). The society favoured the bid from the Field Studies Council, and when the park opted for the YHA’s tender, had hoped that…
Read MoreWestfield Common, Woking, threatened again
Woking Borough Council is consulting interest groups and local people on plans to swap part of Westfield Common. The intention is to provide an access road to a potential new housing development north of Moor Lane. Woking Council wanted to deregister 387 square metres of the common. It is wet woodland and a Site of…
Read MoreLocalism Bill is a muddle for open spaces
We today roundly condemn the Localism Bill, the government’s flagship measure for giving people power to run their own lives and neighbourhoods. The bill is due for second reading in the House of Commons on Monday 17 January. Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, says: ‘One of the bill’s most important aspects-the care and future of…
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Yeadon Banks Green still undecided following appeal court ruling
The application to register five acres of treasured open space known as Yeadon Banks, on the outskirts of Leeds, as a town green is still not decided following a Court of Appeal judgment on Monday (20 December). Read the judgment here Mr Doug Jones, of Keep Yeadon Banks Green (KEYBAG) applied in 2004 to register…
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Final countdown to decision on top national-park learning centre
We plan to speak at the Peak District National Park Authority’s meeting on Friday 17 December, where members will make a decision on the future of the highly-admired Losehill Hall in the Hope Valley, Derbyshire. Losehill Hall has belonged to the Peak Park for 40 years. Now, officers propose to sell or lease it, to…
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Go for Green Spaces campaign
We have launched a fact-finding campaign, Go for Green Spaces, to advise government on its proposed new designation for green spaces. The Departments for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have announced a new designation, similar to sites of special scientific interest, ‘to protect green areas of particular…
Read MoreWelsh coastal path has a long way to go
Our member Max Grant from Gwynedd has pointed out that we are too optimistic in our statement in the latest Open Space that the coastal path in Wales is almost complete. He writes: ‘I wish it were almost complete! ‘In fact, Welsh Assembly Government funding will stop in 2013 by which time there will be…
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We warn parish council against skate bowl on green
We have warned Liss Parish Council that it is unlawful to construct a skate bowl on the registered village green at West Liss in east Hampshire. The green is within the boundary of the South Downs National Park. The society has written to the chairman of the parish council to explain that such a development…
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