The newly-formed Common Land Coalition of 16 diverse countryside bodies (including the BMC) has called on environment minister Richard Benyon to implement the law to update England’s registers of common land.

Common land is suffering because there is no definitive, up-to-date record of the land and rights.  The Commons Act was passed with cross-party support in 2006, specifically to address this and other issues.  Yet part 1 of the Act, which provides for updating the registers, has only been implemented in seven ‘pioneer’ areas (Blackburn with Darwen, Cornwall, Devon, Hereford, Hertfordshire, Kent and Lancashire).  Ministers have recently announced the deferral of further implementation until at least 2016.

Common land is one of England’s finest assets.  There are 7,000 commons in England covering nearly 400,000 hectares, an area roughly the size of Suffolk.  They are nationally and internationally important for their wildlife, landscape and archaeology and virtually all the land is available for public access.  Commons are the last remnants of unenclosed land from the medieval period and cover all types of landscape and habitat.

However, without an up-to-date record it is difficult for commons to benefit from proper management to protect their value for nature conservation and public access, and the livelihoods of those who depend on them as grazing land.  There is a right to walk on nearly all the commons but if they are not recorded on the register that right may not be available to the public.

Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society (OSS) is keen for the registers to be reopened throughout England so that lost commons can be reclaimed and thereby secure the public’s rights to walk.  The OSS believes there are many commons which were wrongly excluded from registration and are dismayed that parliament should pass such important and valuable legislation and then fail to implement it.

The coalition, made up of organisations representing graziers, the commons registration authorities and landscape and access interests, have written to the minister asking him to reconsider his decision of deferral, and to implement part 1 of the Commons Act 2006 without further delay.  A letter was also published in The Times on Saturday 27 October.

The members of the Common Land Coalition are:
Foundation for Common Land
Open Spaces Society
Pastoral Alliance
Campaign for National Parks
Commons Registration Authorities
Ramblers’ Association
British Horse Society
NFU Uplands Forum
Friends of the Lake District
National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
South West Uplands Federation
National Sheep Association
Central Association of Agricultural Valuers
Dartmoor Commoners’ Council
Federation of Cumbrian Commoners
British Mountaineering Council

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