“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