Register land as a town or village green

You can apply to register land as a town or village green for sports and recreation, for example playing football, walking your dog or picking blackberries.

You can apply if:

• a significant number of the inhabitants of any locality, or any neighbourhood within a locality, have taken part as of right in sports and pastimes on the land for a period of at least 20 years
• the locality is a legally recognised entity, such as a civil parish (a neighbourhood does not need to be legally recognised but it should be more than just a line on the map)
• the use of the land ended no more than 1 year before the date of application

There is no fee to apply, however, if you employ legal representation there can be significant financial implications.

Under the Commons Act 2006:

• anyone can make an application under section 15(1)
• a landowner, for example a parish council can voluntarily register land, under section 15(8)

You cannot apply if a trigger event, an event related to the development of land, has occurred. If this is the case, you'll need to wait until a terminating event occurs in relation to the land before you can apply.

If you do not own the land, when you apply you'll need to provide the name and address of every person who you believe to be the:

• owner
• person who owns the lease
• tenant
• occupier of any part of the land you're looking to register

For applications made under 15(8) you will need a declaration of consent from anyone with a legal interest in the land to show that they agree to the land being recorded as a village green. For example, if the land is being rented out to a farmer.

Before starting an application:

• check to see if anyone has already applied to register the land
• check the registers for a landowner statement
• read the DEFRA guidance on making an application

For more information, see the GOV.UK guide to registering town and village greens.

You'll need to provide:

• your name and address
• details of a solicitor (if any)
• a description of the land and reasons for applying
• evidence to show it has been used for lawful sports and pastimes without permission, force or secrecy for at least 20 years

To apply

1. Visit GOV.UK for an application form for the registration of land as a town or village green.
2. Coordinate the completion of our questionnaire from users who have used the green DOCX, 1.80MB

Post your application and questionnaire to:

Definitive Map and Highway Searches Team
Buckinghamshire Council
Walton Street Offices
Aylesbury
HP20 1UY

If you are applying under section 15(8)

• your application will be date stamped and acknowledged
• if your application is properly made the land will be registered as a town or village green
• you will receive details of the registration

If you are applying under section 15(1):

• your application will be date stamped
• if your right to apply has not been excluded by a trigger event, your application will be acknowledged
• the application and evidence will be considered by a case officer

Only applications made under section 15(1) require advertisement.

We will advertise the application and allow comments (representations) to be made by members of the public if:

• the application has been made in the correct way
• there is sufficient evidence to support it
• there is no obvious reasons for refusal

If no comments are made after 42 days, we will write to you with our decision.

If any comments are received:

• we'll send them to you so you can respond
• your application may require a hearing or public inquiry to further investigate the evidence

The final decision is based on all the facts and evidence. We will inform you whether the application has been accepted or rejected.

If your application is:

• accepted, the land will be registered as a town or village green and you will be supplied with details of the registration
• rejected, you will be notified of the rejection

Find out how to correct a mistake in the common land or village green register.

Email: [email protected]