Our general secretary, Kate Ashbrook, urges the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, to act for access. Kate welcomes Emma to the role and writes: We hope Emma will bring change where now there is stagnation. Let’s hope she recognises that public access, too often relegated to the bottom… The post Emma’s opportunity appeared first on Open Spaces Society.| Open Spaces Society
We have appointed Kit Cawthorn as our local correspondent for the London Borough of Ealing. Kit is studying to become a barrister and, upon gaining pupillage, hopes to develop a specialism in land law. He is keen to defend open spaces and paths, and to develop and apply his growing knowledge to his new role. In this voluntary position, Kit will challenge undesirable development and enclosure of Ealing’s commons, greens, other open spaces, and paths. Having grown up fly-fishing and...| Open Spaces Society
We have called on Wiltshire councillors to reject the Network Rail’s proposed closure of the Penleigh level-crossing in Westbury. The Western Area Planning Committee will consider the plan on 8 October. The proposal is to close the direct, 20-metre path across the railway and instead to force walkers to use a circuitous one-kilometre diversion, via… The post Wiltshire councillors must reject rail-crossing closure appeared first on Open Spaces Society.| Open Spaces Society
The attempt by the Duke of Beaufort’s Somerset Trust to take part of Clyne Common at West Cross for housing development has finally been refused. The deputy minister, Huw Irranca-Davis, has rejected the trust’s application to deregister 2.8 hectares on the eastern side of the common (the ‘release land’) and replace it with 3.4 hectares… The post Clyne Common, Swansea, saved from housing development appeared first on Open Spaces Society.| Open Spaces Society
Our local correspondent for south Herefordshire, Dave Howerski, has obtained a law degree from the Open University. Dave was inspired to study for this through his voluntary work for the society, campaigning for public paths, threatening legal action, and persuading Herefordshire Council to carry out its statutory duty to protect and maintain them. Dave, who… The post We celebrate our Herefordshire volunteer’s law degree appeared first on Open Spaces Society.| Open Spaces Society
On 13 September we held a day in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, for members to celebrate our 160th anniversary, and to visit our land, Parliament Piece. The six-hectare site was given to the society in 1987 by Miss Helen Martin of The Spring. In 1999 we gave it to Warwick District Council on a 99-year lease, and… The post Our members congregate in Kenilworth appeared first on Open Spaces Society.| Open Spaces Society
We have welcomed the new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature. The report, which was launched in parliament on 15 September, contains a comprehensive set of recommendations which will ensure that England’s outdoors becomes more accessible to more people. The report is here. The Department for Environment,… The post New report gives a vital boost to access in England appeared first on Open Spaces Society.| Open Spaces Society
Proposals for the route of the England Coast Path on the Isle of Wight look set to avoid some of the best bits of coast. We are dismayed that Natural England’s proposed route for the England Coast Path (ECP) on the Isle of Wight veers inland when it reaches the Osborne and Barton estates between… The post Osborne frustrates coastal path appeared first on Open Spaces Society.| Open Spaces Society
We have appointed Katherine Evans as our local correspondent to watch over the public paths, commons, greens, and other open spaces in Essex. Katherine lives in Braintree District in north-east Essex. She says: ‘I volunteered to be the Open Spaces Society’s local correspondent for Essex because I care about keeping our public rights of way and other public open spaces—such as village greens, common land, and access land—open, usable, and available to the public. ‘With the pressure t...| Open Spaces Society
We are pleased that unenclosed land adjacent to Trewellard Common has been recognised as common land. Planning Inspector Paul Freer has granted the society’s application to register as common about 0.7 hectares of land situated south-east of the village of Trewellard. The land comprises brambles and bracken. It is about seven miles north-west of Penzance. … The post Land restored to Trewellard Common, Cornwall appeared first on Open Spaces Society.| Open Spaces Society
