Episode 59: Public Green Spaces with Neil Sinden

Just how free are we to walk around our cities and countryside? Who owns our parks and public spaces and who makes the decision what you can and can’t do in them and when they can be closed for ticketed events? What can you do to make sure our green spaces stay open and accessible to all? These are all questions I asked Neil Sinden, the Director of the London branch of the CPRE (Campaign for Rural England). I’d seen mention of the Urban Right to Roam, which piqued my interest and made me wonder about how much freedom we do have to roam across our cities and indeed our countryside. I had always assumed we had inalienable rights across public land but it seems it’s not as clear cut as I thought.  As Neil mentions in the interview, 2.6million people in the UK live more than a 10 minute walk from a green space. That’s hugely important as our country becomes more urbanised and it’s important if, for you, your local green space is your only garden.   We talk about: The CPRE and why it’s needed, even in towns and large cities like London   The Urban Right to Roam Rights of Way Privately owned public spaces Protecting and improving our green spaces   Links  www.cprelondon.org.uk   www.lfgn.org.uk Go Parks London How to register an unrecorded Historic Right of Way  Blog post by Groundsure about the implications for our Historic Rights of Way of a 2026 deadline to register them by.    Get in touch; Email [email protected]  Website www.rootsandall.co.uk  Twitter @rootsandall Instagram rootsandallpod Facebook @rootsandalluk   Patreon Link; Help us keep the podcast free & independent! Donate as much or as little as you like at https://www.patreon.com/rootsandall