allowed for the registration of new town or village greens. Anyone may apply to add land to the Register of Town or Village Greens. Land can become Town or Village Green through 20 years use as of right by the inhabitants of the locality or of a neighbourhood within the locality. So, what has changed? The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) points out, ‘The Growth and Infrastructure Bill makes it more difficult to register new town and village greens … Tens of thousands of planning applications for housing development are granted each year, but in 2009 there were only 185 village green applications … The tests for registering village greens are already onerous. We fear that this proposal will lead to an inequality of arms between local communities and house-builders who are banking more and more land and want to steamroller councils into developing land that should be protected.’ Explains Kate Ashbrook, the Open Spaces Society’s general secretary: ‘The clause is an oppressive measure which will make it difficult, if not downright impossible, to register land as a town or village green once it has been identified for development—even if that identification is a well-kept secret.’ The Society cites many village greens all over England that were registered as a town or village green, but which might well not have been registered if the Growth and Infrastructure Bill had been passed. Amidst a severe shortage of land – whether for affordable housing or commercial business projects – like bookshops and libraries, village greens need our protection and support. As the song says, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.’ Maybe next time you go for a country walk or even a drive, you will ponder on these green matters; and have you thought about what is going on in your area; how your neighbourhood may be affected and what you can do about it? *Ramblers Petition http://www.ramblers.org.uk/nationaltrailsRamblers
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