Anger over joint BEIS and Ordnance Survey mapping project
Cant help wondering if those complaining in this story below might have a powerful point….
A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy-funded project to map the nation’s green spaces on a freely-accessible database has been criticised by campaigners for failing to distinguish between genuinely open land and fenced-off private property.
The greenspace mapping project, delivered by Ordnance Survey, was launched this week by universities and science minister Jo Johnson and OS strategic development director Philip Wyndham.
BEIS described the database as a “rich source of information on the location and extent of greenspaces up and down the country” that would “help tackle health and environmental issues”.
But the Open Spaces Society said the database failed to deliver on the Conservative Party’s 2015 election manifesto pledge to “‘make it easier to access our beautiful landscapes, by providing free, comprehensive maps of all open-access green space”.
The group, which campaigns to protect common land, village greens, open spaces and public paths, said the database did not discriminate between public open spaces and land used exclusively for private recreation.
It said public and private golf courses were both shown as accessible greenspace, as were allotments, private school recreation grounds and private sports facilities such as bowling greens.