CLA pleased about Defra consultation for village greens
The CLA has said it is pleased that Defra is to help improve the balance between protecting the green spaces valued by communities and enabling the right development to take place, with an open consultation on village greens.
The Association has lobbied for reform of the registration of new village greens since 2006 and asked for a consultation to be brought forward through the Localism Bill. It argues the criteria for registering town and village greens are used to try to stop much-needed housing development in rural areas even after planning permission has been granted, or after affordable homes have been built.
CLA President William Worsley said: If an area of land is designated as a town or village green, any development on it is prohibited, despite any grant of planning permission. It is important that genuine applications for village green registrations succeed, but too often spurious applications are made which frustrate the planning system and stifle much needed development.
Mr Worsley added: Although it is too late to achieve substantive reform in the present Localism Bill, a public consultation is right and proper before any legislative change is proposed. We believe the Government appreciates the problem and are pleased Defra has decided to consult.
However, the road to reform would be eased and speeded up if the necessary changes, once decided upon, could be enacted by regulation rather than primary legislation.
- Find out more about the village greens consultation here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2011/07/25/town-village-greens
- The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has around 35,000 members.
- As a membership organisation, the CLA supports landowners by advising them on how best to protect and maximise their asset: the land. We are dedicated to supporting landowners and their businesses. Our success is measured by how effectively we do that. We have a team of experts in London and a regional structure able to give local support.
- We have been looking after the interests of our members, as well as promoting the positive aspects of land ownership, land management and rural business activities for the past 100 years. CLA members own or manage approximately half the rural land in England and Wales, and the resulting expertise puts us in a unique position to formulate policies and lobby effectively.
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