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<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">From: Kate Ashbrook
<hq@oss.org.uk><br>
To: "kate@kateashbrook.co.uk"
<kate@kateashbrook.co.uk><br>
Subject: Open Spaces Society news release: Commons defenders get new
version<br>
of Bible<br>
Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2022 07:43:01 +0000<br>
<br><br>
<div align="center"><b><a name="_Hlk34817116"></a>OPEN SPACES
SOCIETY<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>NEWS RELEASE<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<div align="center"><b><a name="_Hlk39045969"></a> <br>
</b></div>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>COMMONS DEFENDERS GET <br>
</b></div>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>NEW VERSION OF BIBLE<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<br><br>
The Open Spaces Society<sup>(1)</sup>, Britain’s leading pressure-group
for common land<sup>(2)</sup> has published the seventh edition of its
‘Commons Bible’, <i>Our Common Land, the law and history of common land
and village greens</i>.<br><br>
There are 600,000 hectares (2,300 square miles) of common land in England
and Wales. It is special for its history, archaeology, wildlife,
biodiversity, landscape, and culture, its vitality to upland farming in
particular, and for informal recreation. Commons have their own
laws, some of which are complex.<br><br>
Tragically, solicitor Paul Clayden died shortly after completing the
draft of the book, and it has been finalised by the Open Spaces Society’s
staff. It brings the law up to date since the sixth edition was
published in 2007. It explains the intricacies of the Commons Act
2006, how to register land as common, how to protect it from abuse and
encroachments, and who has rights to do what and where.<br><br>
Says Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society: ‘Anyone
who is involved in commons, whether as a landowner, common right-holder,
community group, or member of the public, needs to know about the laws
which protect and govern common land. Our book explains these in
straightforward language.<br><br>
‘We want people to appreciate how important commons are, for their
contribution to our environment and to our health and well-being.
The society champions commons to ensure that they remain open, unenclosed
and inspirational places for all to enjoy.’<br><br>
The book costs £25 including post and packing. Further information
is on the society’s website
<a href="https://www.oss.org.uk/our-common-land/">here</a>.
<br><br>
<div align="right"><b>ENDS<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<b><a name="_Hlk95996729"></a>Photos: The cover of <i>Our Common
Land</i><a name="_Hlk95996729"></a>. Ashtead Common, Surrey.<br>
</b><br>
<b><a name="_Hlk34817874"></a> <br>
</b><br>
<b>Notes for Editors<br>
</b><br>
<a name="_Hlk479671727"></a>
1 The Open Spaces
Society was founded in 1865 and is Britain’s oldest national conservation
body. It campaigns to protect common land, village greens, open
spaces and public paths, and people’s right to enjoy them.<br><br>
<br><br>
2 Common land is
land subject to rights of common, to graze animals or collect wood for
instance, or waste land of the manor not subject to rights. The
public has the right to walk on all commons, and to ride on many.
Commons are protected in that works on common land require the consent of
the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, via the
Planning Inspectorate, or the Welsh Ministers, via Planning and
Environment Decisions Wales.<br><br>
________________________________________________________<br>
<br>
<br><br>
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