The sad thing about commons and village greens is that they seem to get smaller over the years, rather than bigger.  A tarmac footpath is installed on one corner here and a paved area for people waiting at the bus stop goes over there. One square metre at a time, the common or green gets smaller. Fifty years later, nobody can remember whether the tarmac was highway land or village green land and in 200 years’ time, the green has shrunk irrecoverably.  Commons and Village Greens need to be protected and the people who need to protect them are the members and Clerks of Parish and Town Councils.

Although commons and village greens have been with us for a very long time, the Commons Act 2006 and subsequent Statutory Instruments have changed the law.  Here are some of the new Statutory Orders and Regulations:

• No. 2584
  (C. 98) The Commons Act 2006 (Commencement No. 3, Transitional Provisions and Savings) (England) Order 2007
• SI 2007/2584 - Web version (HTML)
• SI 2007/2584 - Print version (PDF - 43 KB)
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• No. 2585 The Commons (Deregistration and Exchange Orders) (Interim Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2007
• SI 2007/2585 - Web version (HTML)
• SI 2007/2585 - Print version (PDF - 157 KB)
• SI 2007/2585 - Explanatory Memorandum (PDF - 28 KB)
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• No. 2587 The Works on Common Land (Exemptions) (England) Order 2007
• SI 2007/2587 - Web version (HTML)
• SI 2007/2587 - Print version (PDF - 105 KB)
• SI 2007/2587 - Explanatory Memorandum (PDF - 207 KB)
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• No. 2588 The Works on Common Land, etc. (Procedure) (England) Regulations 2007
• SI 2007/2588 - Web version (HTML)
• SI 2007/2588 - Print version (PDF - 74 KB)
• SI 2007/2588 - Explanatory Memorandum (PDF - 207 KB)
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• No. 2589 The Deregistration and Exchange of Common Land and Greens (Procedure) (England) Regulations 2007
• SI 2007/2589 - Web version (HTML)
• SI 2007/2589 - Print version (PDF - 64 KB)
• SI 2007/2589 - Explanatory Memorandum (PDF - 208 KB)