Brill Common - free for all?

“I thought the common was common land - ie for all” wrote someone on Facebook recently. Well, yes - and no!

Brill Common, The Walks, The Square and The Green are all owned by Brill Parish Council. The Parish Council holds these parcels of land in trust “for the benefit and enjoyment of all Brill's residents” and our many visitors. As such, the Council has an obligation to protect these open spaces from “damage and misuse”.

The two quotes above are from the Brill Common & Walks Policy*, a detailed document that covers encroachment (annexation of common land, however minimal) and the following topics:

• Vehicle access and parking on common land

• Track maintenance

• Building materials and skips (placement during works)

• Planting, grass cutting and weed treatments

• Small structures (such as hen coops, boundary markers, tents and benches)

• Grazing rights (including the responsibilities of people owning land adjacent to the common)

• Events on the common (eg large celebrations and commemorations, fireworks, sporting events and filming including wedding and fashion photography)

ALL of these situations require discussion with, and permission from, the Parish Council - and we strongly recommend you initiate this process as early as possible to avoid misunderstandings and upset. If you’re not sure whether or not you need permission - just ASK! A simple email to the Parish Council will open a dialogue for everyone’s benefit and, provided your request is timely, reasonable and considered, permission is more likely to be given than withheld.

Let’s enjoy Brill Common - and make sure others can do likewise.

(*This document lumps Brill’s four grassed areas together as “common land”. This is not technically correct - but the description is adequate for the purposes of the Policy and its application.)