SCOLT HEAD AND DISTRICT COMMON
RIGHTHOLDERS ASSOCIATION

Back in 1996 SH&DCRA put together a document called “Some Points of Law Relating to Common Land”. Since the 2006 Commons Act there have been quite a few changes and these are addressed here. The overriding authority to answer these questions of law is Gadsden on Commons and Greens – E F Cousins and R Honey – Sweet and Maxwell – 2012, but there are others and some of these are mentioned here.

Questions often asked concern common rightholders as the Legal Occupiers of the common land and SH&DCRA as the Competent Authority to manage the common rights. Other questions asked are about the nature of common rights, how can they be used and how these rights affect the landowners? 

These questions are answered here.