Common Land
Commons Registration
Pembrokeshire County Council is a Registration Authority under the Commons Registration Act 1965 and the Commons Act 2006 and holds the registers for both common land and town or village greens within Pembrokeshire, which includes common land and town or village greens that fall within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
As a Commons Registration Authority, we have a statutory duty to maintain the Registers of Common Land and Town or Village Greens. The registers are available for public inspection between 9am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday each week (public holidays excepted). Whilst there is no charge for inspection of the registers a fee is applicable for any photocopies required.
If you wish to inspect the registers and be able to speak to someone it would be advisable to telephone ahead to make an appointment. You can make an appointment to view the registers by contacting the Common Land Officer on 01437 775330 or commonland@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
The Commons Registration Service has administrative functions only. Information can be provided as to procedures, but where legal advice/interpretation of the law is required, independent legal advice must be obtained.
The Commons Act 2006
The Commons Act 2006 brings new responsibilities for commons registration authorities in updating and maintaining registers of common land and town and village greens.
The Act aims to:
- protect common land from development
- allow more sustainable management of common land
- improve protection of common land from neglect and abuse
- Modernise registration of common land and greens to ensure that all enjoy the same protection
More information about the Commons Act 2006 can be obtained from the Welsh Government’s website (opens in a new tab)
Applying to correct the Registers
The Commons Act 2006 acknowledges that the Commons Registration Act 1965 has proved to have deficiencies and provides a mechanism to replace and improve the current registration system. The Court of Appeal held that even where land had been wrongly registered as common land, the 1965 Act provided no mechanism to enable such land to be removed from the register once the registration had become final.
From May 5th 2017, Registration Authorities will be able to receive applications under section 19 of the 2006 Act, which provides for the correction of the registers in prescribed circumstances, and under Schedule 2 to the 2006 Act, which allows land which fulfils relevant criteria to be added to the register if it is not registered, or removed from the register if it was wrongly registered.
Applicants may, depending on the application they are making, be required to pay an application fee. Charges for different types of applications are listed below, but potential applicants are advised to contact the Registration Authority in the first instance for further advice on their options.
- Correcting any other mistake £1081.00
- Processing a Landowner Statement £261.00
- Removing duplicate from Register £162.50
- Update Name and Address £162.50
- Accretion or Diluvion £162.50
How to apply
The forms required for an application to rectify a commons or town or village green application can be found below.
Before completing any of these forms, you are strongly advised to read the guidance to applicants published by Welsh Government.
Please note:Any party involved in an application to correct a commons or town or village green register may wish to obtain their own independent legal advice. Pembrokeshire County Council, as the Commons Registration Authority, is unable to provide this.
Conservation Team
Tel: 01437 764551
Email: commonland@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
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