Enjoying access to the outdoors in Wales
We have a rare opportunity to influence the laws and practices for public paths and access land in Wales. The Welsh Government is consulting on access to the outdoors in chapter 4 of its document Taking Forward Wales’ Sustainable Management of Natural Resources. The closing date for responses is 30 September, and anyone may respond.…
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We fight Northampton Council’s plan to dispose of vital open space
The society has objected to Northampton Borough Council’s plan to dispose of open space at Lancaster Way in Northampton. The council has advertised its intention to sell the land and is required to consider any representations (under section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972). The council wants to use the open space on the…
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We back call for truly coastal access at Lee Abbey beauty-spot
The society is backing the Ramblers, the Exmoor Society and the Exmoor Local Access Forum in calling on Natural England (NE) to create a truly coastal path on the north Devon coast at Lee Abbey, a mile and a half west of Lynton. The Exmoor National Park Authority also wants NE to re-examine the proposed…
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Commons conference in Utrecht
In July our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, went to the biennial conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) in Utrecht in the Netherlands. Here she describes some of her experiences. This was the 16th biennial, global conference of the IASC, and my fifth. It was organised by the University of…
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Bedford Council forced to back down on path changes
Our Bedford local correspondent, Brian Cowling, has forced Bedford Borough Council to withdraw its proposals to move the routes of 13 public footpaths, in the parishes of Ravensden, Thurleigh and Wilstead, because of errors in the formal orders. Brian objected to the proposals because he considered that they would be damaging for public enjoyment, and…
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Anger at decision to allow seizure of common land at Haven Green, Ealing
The Open Spaces Society and the Friends of Haven Green are furious that the Environment Secretary has approved a retrospective application from Ealing Council to use part of Haven Green common as a cycle hub, and to deregister 188 square metres of the common. The decision follows a four-day public inquiry held in March and…
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A green Brexit must include more opportunities for public access
We have welcomed the pledge from the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, to deliver a green Brexit (speech, ‘The Unfrozen Moment: delivering a green Brexit’, 21 July), but have called for this to include support for greater public access to the countryside. Michael Gove speech did not mention recreation or public access in his speech but,…
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Walkers’ groups fight plan to close valuable town-centre path in High Wycombe
The Open Spaces Society and the Buckinghamshire Ramblers have opposed a plan by Wycombe District Council to close part of a valuable footpath in High Wycombe’s town centre. The council wants to impose a Public Spaces Protection Order(1) (PSPO) on the path, which would close it to public use. It claims that the path is…
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A new deal for public access post-Brexit
‘Agricultural funds post Brexit should pay for more and better public access.’ So declared the Open Spaces Society’s vice-president, Paul Clayden, at the society’s annual general meeting in London on Thursday 6 July. ‘The government has promised that the current level of agricultural support will be maintained until the next election. This means that there…
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We criticise new Ordnance Survey map of greenspaces
As Britain’s leading pressure-group for open spaces, we say that today’s launch of a new ‘comprehensive map of greenspaces’(1) fails to deliver the Government’s commitment to map ‘all open-access green space’. The Ordnance Survey has announced the publication of a database of greenspaces in Great Britain. The database is offered via a mapping tool online,…
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