Date post: | 22-Apr-2015 |
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Environment |
Upload: | countryside-and-community-research-institute |
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“Beyond legislative action – a role for federations of
commoners”
John Powell
Upland commons of England & Wales
• Farming at the margins• Conflict with hunting and recreation• New pressures on land:
– agricultural intensification– demands for ‘ecosystem services’
• Concerns over climate change, spread of disease, changes to plant communities.
• New economic pressures from supermarkets
Legislative change
• (1985 Dartmoor Commons Act)
• 2006 Commons Act– ‘commons councils’ with statutory powers– Need to show ‘substantial support’
• Enables creation of an organisational hierarchy to manage a commons resource.
• A council can be made up of smaller associations – distance enables local problems to be managed– enables multiple interests to be represented.
Implementation
• Implementation slow - only now seeing first applications
• Brendon Commons Council 1 April 2014. • Council has powers to manage:
– (i) Agricultural activities, the management of vegetation and the [exercise of] rights of common
– (ii) The leasing and licensing of rights of common.
Institutional developments
• Commons governance– Large number of small commons associations– Limited powers to manage commons – No political voice
• Development of ‘supra-commons organisations’– Federation of Cumbrian Commoners– Yorkshire Federation of Commoners and Graziers– Brecon Beacons Graziers– Wales Commons forum– Foundation for common Land (England)– Bodmin Moor ?
Cumbria Federation of Commoners (2003)
• Represents 34 local commons associations (60% of total common land in Cumbria) – Provides a voice to represent views– Best practice guidance and advice– No powers to enforce rules or deliver best practice
• 2008 proposed a commons council– Main concerns: balance of power, financing,
interference in local issues
Conclusions
• Federations – Valuable but limited role– Variable effectiveness
• New commons councils with powers to deal with new problems
• Legislation does not guarantee change• Commons theory does not tell us how to bring
about changes in governance• Crisis or catalyst to overcome the status quo