Issue - meetings

To consider a report seeking approval of a procedure for the determining of village green applications.

The Committee received a report which sought approval of a procedure for determining village green applications.

The Council was the registration authority for the purposes of village greens and in that capacity was responsible for determining applications received and for the keeping of the register of village greens.

Village greens could be registered either as a result of an application by a third person or by a voluntary registration by the landowner.  Approval was being sought to the procedure in relation to applications received from persons other than the landowner. 

The report outlined the proposed procedures and options or paths that applications may take. These were:

·      Option 1 – Reject application for failing to meet basic statutory requirements

·        Option 2 – Accept application as validly made and write a report to the Committee recommending acceptance of the application and registration of the land as village green (in whole or in part)

·        Option 3 – Accept application as validly made and write a report to the Committee recommending rejection of the application

·        Option 4 – Accept application as validly made, and appoint an independent person either

a.      to consider the application on the basis of written representations; or

b.      to hold a non-statutory public inquiry and to provide a report to the Committee

·        Option 5 – Public Rights of Way Committee holds a hearing itself and then decides whether to accept (in whole or part) or reject the application.

The Committee discussed each of the Options.  In relation to Option 4, the Committee considered that the independent person should be a ‘suitably qualified’ barrister or planning inspector.

 RESOLVED:

(1)       That the procedure outlined in the Report be noted and adopted for handling existing and future applications in respect of village greens, subject to Option 4 being amended to read ‘suitably qualified independent person’.

(2)       That officers arrange the necessary training for the Committee.