Common Land
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Latest News
- Implementation of Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006 in 7 pilot authority areas from 1 October 2008.
- Guidance note published on Defra's policy in relation to granting consents to various activities on common land and town or village greens.
- 12th biennial conference of the International Association for the Study of Commons (IASC) - being held at the University of Gloucestershire between 14 - 18 July 2008. Please note that this is an external, non-Defra event.
- Summary of responses to the consultation on updating the commons registers
- Guidance note on voluntary dedication of land for public access
Commons Act 2006
The Commons Act 2006 will protect our common land for current and future generations, and deliver real benefits in terms of sustainable farming, public access and biodiversity.
For more information on the Commons Act see:
What is Common Land?
There are around 550,000 hectares of registered common land in England and Wales – 4% of the total land area in England and Wales. For more details see:
Management of Common Land
Many commons are still important for agriculture and serve the economic interest of farming communities. At present there is a lack of effective mechanisms for managing agricultural activity, in particular grazing, on commons. This can sometimes lead to severe over-grazing and consequent damage to the soil, vegetation and biodiversity. For further information on the management of common land see:
Page last modified: 1 September 2008
Page published: 5 February 2003