Registration functions
Registration authorities' functions under the Commons Registration Act 1965
The Commons Registration Act 1965 designates county councils (and unitary authorities exercising the functions of county councils), metropolitan borough councils and London borough councils as commons registration authorities.
These authorities were originally charged with administering the registration of common land and town and village greens under the 1965 Act, but their chief function today is to maintain the registers for public inspection, to conduct searches of the registers in response to applications from the public and conveyancers, and to handle applications for amendments to the registers, particularly to register new town and village greens and to remove common land from the registers.
Registration authorities' duties and responsibilities are set out in the 1965 Act, and in regulations made under the Act. In due course, these responsibilities will be replaced by those set out in Part I of the Commons Act 2006 (section 15, in relation to the registration of new town or village greens, was brought into force on 6 April 2007). However, details of regulations affecting the exercise of powers under the 1965 Act by registration authorities in England are maintained here for reference while the 1965 Act remains in force. Please see the update emails sent to commons registration officers for details of changes to date.
The various regulations are as follows. Only the most recent regulations remain in print, although copies of all regulations are often available for reference at larger public libraries.
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2007 [2007/2404]
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2007 [2007/1553, revoked]
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2007 [SI 2007/1032, revoked]
- Commons Registration (Objection and Maps) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2007 [SI 2007/540]
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 [SI 2003/2260, revoked]
- Commons Registration (Disposal of Disputed Registrations) (Amendment) Regulations 1993 [SI 1993/1771]
- Common Land (Rectification of Registers) Regulations 1990 [SI 1990/311]. The 1990 regulations are now revoked in England following repeal of the enabling Act.
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) Regulations 1989 [SI 1989/2167, revoked]
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) Regulations 1982 [SI 1982/210, revoked]
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) Regulations 1980 [SI 1980/1195, revoked]
- Commons Registration (Second Period References) Regulations 1973 [SI 1973/815]
- Commons Registration (Disposal of Disputed Registrations) Regulations 1972 [SI 1972/437]
- Commons Commissioners Regulations 1971 [SI 1971/1727]
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) Regulations 1970 [SI 1970/1996, revoked]
- Commons Registration (Finality of Undisputed Registrations) Regulations 1970 [SI 1970/1371]
- Commons Registration (New Land) Regulations 1969 [SI 1969/1843, no longer effective in relation to the registration of new town or village greens]
- Commons Registration (Objections and Maps) Regulations 1968 [SI 1968/989]
- Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) Regulations 1968 [SI 1968/658]
- Commons Registration (General) Regulations 1966 [SI 1966/1471]
- Commons Registration (Time Limits) Order 1966 [SI 1966/1470]
- Commons Registration (Publicity) Regulations 1966 [SI 1966/972]
- Commons Registration (Exempted Land) Regulations 1965 [SI 1965/2001]
Page last modified:
21 September 2007
Page published: 5 February 2003