This is the October update from Civic Trust.

Grass Roots Online

Welcome to issue eight of Grass Roots Online. By now every Society registered with the Civic Trust should have received a copy of the October issue of our quarterly newsletter Grass Roots. Please pass Grass Roots around your committee and onto your members.

Grass Roots is also available to download here

For more information about any of the items in this issue or if your Society hasn't received Grass Roots through the post then please contact Katie Faulkner by email ( helpdesk@civictrust.org.uk ) or on 020 7539 7904 to update your contact details.

Planning and Charity Law: What's changing and how it affects you?

Further to the announcement in the October issue of Grass Roots: The Civic Societies Team would like to invite our members to a two part, one day training event in association with the Environmental Law Foundation, Lawworks and Field Fisher Waterhouse.

The two events take place on:

• London - 15th November, 10 am - 5 pm
• Manchester - 29th November, 10 am - 5pm

The workshops will focus on:

Organisational Governance - led by Law Works and Field Fisher Waterhouse. Sessions will include: updating/reviewing constitutions; legal structures; trustee responsibilities and setting up as a charity.

Environmental Law - led by the Environmental Law Foundation. Sessions will include accessing planning information; planning application objections; registering green spaces and facilitating relationships with Local Authorities.

Full details about the venue and programme are to follow. In the meantime if you would like to register your interest for these workshops or find out more about either of these dates, please write to us at helpdesk@civictrust.org.uk or call 0207 539 7904

New threats to the Green Belt?

In their latest press release, Time for a greener green belt, says Natural England ( http://www.info4local.gov.uk/filter/?item=505439 ), Natural England, the Government's statutory advisor on landscape, has launched a surprising attack on Green Belts.

Under the heading of assessing the case for a review of Green Belt policy as part of a fresh approach to greening new development, NE is propagating the case for "Green Wedges".

To read Policy Officer Michael Hammerson's view on Green Belts and Green Wedges on the Civic Societies Network, click here.

Read about the successful campaign to preserve Mardyke Farm Green Belt here. The case study contains useful material for any Societies involved in Green Belt protection.

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