[OSM-talk] Several approved features moved to Map_features page

guy at graviles-reynolds.org guy at graviles-reynolds.org
Wed Feb 21 17:14:21 GMT 2007


Quoting "Barnett, Phillip" <Phillip.Barnett at itn.co.uk>:

>  "even if most village greens are commons."
> Actually, ALL village greens are commons. That's part of the definition
> of a village green.
>

Being wholly UK centric, whilst Village Greens can be Commons and vice versa, 
they need not be.

A village green is legally defined as an area where people in the community 
have enjoyed legitimate sports or pastimes for at least twenty 
years. ‘Legitimate sports or pastimes’ include things like:

* cricket matches 
* blackberry picking 
* dog walking 
* village fetes

To register a new village green you must prove that:

* the land is mainly used by local residents (rather than, say, day trippers) 
* it is used for legal activities 
* it has been used for at least twenty years 
* people haven’t forced their way onto the land or used it in secrecy 
* it has been used without the permission of the landowner.

In general terms, common land is land owned by one person over which another 
person is entitled to exercise rights of common (such as grazing animals or 
cutting bracken for livestock bedding), and these rights are generally 
exercisable in common with others.

They are also subjected to different protection under the law

In simplistic terms a Village Green is used by the general population for 
recreational purposes, where as a common is used by people other than the owner 
to gain a livelihood.

Guy 'Batchoy' Reynolds




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