News
Common land law pilot in Herts
Common land laws dating back hundreds of years have recently been modernised under new laws aimed at tidying up the registers, and Hertfordshire County Council is one of seven local authorities chosen to pilot the government’s new Commons Act 2006.
Common land is land which is owned, but can be used by other people with rights for grazing animals and other purposes. Until recently common land law was defined by acts passed as far back as 1285.
The pilot started on October 1 in Hertfordshire as well as in Blackburn with Darwen, Cornwall, Devon, Herefordshire, Kent and Lancashire.
During the 12 months of the pilot, applications can be made to register changes to common land and town and village greens dating from 1970 to today. It will also enable people to apply to amend any errors that may currently be registered. Some applications may incur a fee.
Until now, the Commons Registration Act 1965 has been in place, which included some optional elements. It is therefore thought that details which should have been registered may have slipped through the net.
The changes could eventually reduce the number of disputes over common land ownership and use, as they will provide more precise records of rights to registered common land and town and village greens. It is hoped that the changes could radically improve the way common land town and village greens and commoners rights' are registered and records are kept up to date.
A review of the pilot scheme will take place during 2009 with national roll-out expected to start from October 2010.
Post a Comment on this News Article.
