Village Greens: Recent registrations
Town or village green registrations The Open Spaces Society has been defending open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. A history of successful town or village green registrations 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Chadderton Field, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, registered 2011 I’m delighted to report that…
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Village Greens: Protecting village greens
Law guiding the protection of village greens Law guiding the protection of Village Greens Town and village greens (TVGs) are protected by ancient legislation. Under section 29 of the Commons Act 1876, together with section 12 of the Inclosure Act 1857, a person who encroaches on, or encloses, a town or village green or a…
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Village Greens: Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have a question about town and village greens? Here are answers to FAQ about: Registration Protection Encroachment Tree planting Enjoyment Maps as part of an application Registration How can I find out if my village green is registered? The register of town and village greens is held by your registration authority. In England,…
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Village Greens: Preparing your village green application
How to prepare your town or village green application for registration Want to register land as a town or village green? First check with your registration authority (county or unitary council) to see whether it is already registered. Pioneer areas If you live in Blackburn with Darwen, Cornwall, Devon, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Kent Lancashire, Cumbria or…
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Legacies
Let your love for open spaces live on with a gift in your will Keep us fighting to protect open spaces long into the future Bennett bequest Bennett bequest: organising our archives Having existed for more than 150 years the society has a massive archive. Some is stored in the House of Lords and some…
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Commons: Commons Act 2006 – registration and deregistration
Registration and deregistration of land under the act The Open Spaces Society has been defending open spaces in England and Wales since 1865. Registration and deregistration of land under the Commons Act 2006 This fact sheet tells you about the registration and deregistration of common land and town or village greens, in England and Wales,…
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Open Spaces Society celebrates new town green in Swaffham, Norfolk
We’re delighted to have won a new town green in Swaffham, Norfolk. The land is to the east of the town between Norwich Road and North Pickenham Road. The society negotiated the registration of the green within BDW Trading Ltd’s development in exchange for withdrawing its objection to the diversion of a footpath across the site. The society’s…
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Popular path at Ashby de la Zouch reopened
A long-closed footpath in Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, has today been reopened, thanks to the efforts of campaigners, including the Ashby Footpaths Group and North West Leicestershire MP Amanda Hack. Footpath O89, part of an ancient route which runs from the new Money Hill car-park to the top of North Street, has been closed…
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Call for Gloucestershire councils to promote new greens
We have written to county and district councillors, and town and parish councils throughout Gloucestershire promoting the voluntary registration of open spaces as town and village greens (TVG) to benefit the public. In his letter Chas Townley, the society’s local correspondent for Gloucestershire, says that ‘registration of open space as TVG means that it is…
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Fencing refused on Norfolk common
We have welcomed the decision to refuse consent for fencing on Shereford Common in Norfolk. This is a small, five-hectare common south of St Nicholas’ church, Shereford (near Fakenham), and largely sandwiched between a country lane and the River Wensum. In August 2023, the Raynham estate, owned by Charles Townshend, sought the consent of the Defra…
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