Commons register

Commons Act 2006 - common land and town and village greens

Lancashire County Council is a Commons Registration Authority

The council keeps two statutory registers of common land and town and village greens.

Applications can be made to seek to record things that have happened to certain commons rights and common land in the past which the Registration Authority have not known about and so the Registers do not record eg a surrender of rights in the 1970s, a transfer of rights in the 1980s, or a severance of rights away from the land at a farm. Applications can even be made to add additional common land to the registers or remove some or to correct a mistake which has been made.

Applications can also be made to record things happening today. Please note – some of these events must be registered with the Commons Register if they are to have legal effect.

Applications can be made to seek to register land as a town green by presenting evidence that it already is a town green in law and able to be applied for. New town greens can also be registered voluntarily by the owner of the land without such evidence.

Applications to amend the Registers must be made on the appropriate application form available to download here and must be accompanied by the appropriate fee, where applicable.

Sometimes the decision to alter the Register may be referred to the Secretary of State under the Regulations.

Guidance for applicants is available from the Department  for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Application fees

Application forms

Application notices

Proposal notices

Application / proposal decisions

Notices of Hearing/Public Inquiries 

Contact details

Commons Registration Authority 
Legal and Democratic Services (Ref. LSG4)
Lancashire County Council 
P.O. Box 100
County Hall 
Preston 
PR1 0LD

Telephone: (01772) 535604
Email: commonsandgreens@lancashire.gov.uk