Ownership of Old Buckenhan Green

 An often asked question

This answer to an important question is written by Parish Councillor Stan Burton. Old Buckenham Green is common land. Common land is an area over which certain people have Rights. That does not make Old Buckenham Green a common. It is registered as a Green.

It all goes back to the Enclosure Act and Apportionment Act where rights were granted. These can be Green Rights, Grazing Rights, Planting Rights, Estovers, Rights of Common and Sporting Rights (shooting and fishing).

Originally there were forty Rights for Old Buckenham green but one was given up by the then Lord of the Manor for the War Memorial.

In 1965 all Common land, including Greens, and any Rights had to be registered with the County Council. If they were not registered, they were lost.

In a court case a few years ago, a Judge ruled that as ownership of Old Buckenham Green had not been registered, ownership passed on to the Public Trustee, a Government body, and any person with registered Rights could set up a management committee to look after the Green. This responsibility has since been passed over to the Parish Council Green Working Party.

 

Commons Registration Act 1965

Definition of Town or Village Green.

Town or Village Green means land which has been allotted by or under any act for the exercise or recreation of the inhabitants of any locality or on which the inhabitants of any locality have a customary right to indulge in lawful sports and pastimes or on which the inhabitants of any locality have indulged in such sports and pastimes as of right for not less than twenty years.