Location: Environment and Planning » Countryside » Common Land and Village Greens

Common Land and Village Greens

The Council has been the Commons Registration Authority for the Borough since 1 April 1998. Section 1 of the Commons Registration Act 1965 (CRA 1965) provides (subject to the exceptions mentioned in the Act) for the registration of :

Land in England or Wales which is common land or a town or village green
rights of common over such land and
Persons claiming to be or found to be owners of such land or becoming the owners thereof by virtue of the Act

The CRA is being replaced by the Commons Act 2006 parts of which have now come into force. Information about common land and village greens, including existing and proposed legislation, can be found on the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) website.

Registering land as town or village green

Section 15 of the Commons Act (CA) 2006 allows for the registration of new town or village greens. Anyone may apply to the Council as Commons Registration Authority for the Borough to add land to the Register of Town or Village Greens. Under Section 15 (1) of the CA land can become Town or Village Green through 20 years use as of right by the inhabitants of the locality or of a neighbourhood within the locality. Under Section 15 (8) a landowner can apply to voluntarily register part of his/her land as a Town or Village Green. Applications should be made to the Council on Form 44, available from Defra.

Searching the registers

The Register of Commons and Village Greens in the Borough is maintained by the Council and any searches of such should be made on the appropriate form. Further information and details of the current fee can be obtained from The Local Land Charges Unit, Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 1RF (tel 01628 796293)

Current applications

See view applications, please see our current applications webpage.

Other useful websites

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