Office of the Leader of the House of Commons

Commons Act

Key Benefits The Act enables commons to be managed more sustainably by commoners and landowners working together through statutory commons councils, with powers to regulate grazing and other agricultural activities. It updates and improves the controls on works and fencing on commons and ensures that existing statutory protections are applied consistently. This includes reinforcing existing protections against abuse, encroachment and unauthorised development. The Act also safeguards public access by enabling some "missed" commons to be registered, and some wrongly registered land to be deregistered — through an overhaul of the registration system for common land (and town and village greens).

Act of Parliament

Explanatory Notes

Regulatory Impact assessment

Territorial Extent
United Kingdom

Comments

If you have any comments you can email them to:

commons.villagegreens@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Additional Information

The Commons Act will protect our common land for current and future generations, and deliver real benefits in terms of sustainable farming and biodiversity. The Act implements key elements of the Government's Common Land Policy Statement published in July 2002 which outlined the Government's intentions for future legislation relating to common land and town and village greens.

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs





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