Changing and correcting the registers of commons and town and village greens

You can apply to correct the register if you think that land or buildings have been incorrectly registered as common land or as a village green, for example, if an error was made when mapping the boundary of a common at the time it was registered.

You can also apply to deregister land that was wrongly registered as common land or as a town or village green, for example, buildings registered as common land.

Why there are mistakes in the register

The registers of common land and town or village greens were first prepared under the Commons Registration Act 1965. In some cases, original applications to register land included maps that were difficult to interpret or incorrectly defined the land's boundaries. This led to some land registered under the 1965 Act being wrongly registered as common land or town or village green. 

What can be changed or corrected

You may be able to correct or remove land from the register if:

• you can show the land or buildings to have been wrongly registered as common land or village green under the Commons Registration Act 1965
• the land was built upon at the time of the original registration and is still built upon at the time that your application is decided

It doesn't matter whether or not:

• the building was lawfully present on the land when it was originally registered under the 1965 Act
• the land has been covered by the same building since it was originally registered under the 1965 Act, for example, the land could have been covered by a garage next to a house and the garage was then demolished, so the land had become part of the garden attached to that house

You must apply by 28 February 2027.

How to apply

Your application must include evidence to show how the mistake or error was originally made.

You should read the GOV.UK common land guidance before applying to correct the register:

• GOV.UK application to correct the register - form CA 10
• GOV.UK application to correct non-registration or mistaken registration - form CA 13
• Planning Inspectorate - carrying out works on common land

Completed applications should be sent to The Definitive Map Team.

Applying to register land as a Town or Village Green

Town and village greens developed under customary law as areas of land where local people indulged in lawful sports and pastimes. These might include organised or ad-hoc games, picnics, fetes and similar activities. Most greens were registered in the late 1960s under the Commons Registration Act 1965. Provided the right to apply has not been excluded, anyone can apply under section 15(1) of the Commons Act 2006 to register land as a green if it has been used by local people for lawful sports and pastimes ‘as of right’ (i.e. without permission, force or secrecy) for at least 20 years.

Read information and guidance on how to register land as a Town or Village Green.

Completed applications should be sent to The Definitive Map Team.

Application fees

There are fees for some applications under section 19 to amend the register. Additional fees may be charged by the Planning Inspectorate, where they are involved in processing an application. Further information can be found at Legislation.gov.uk - The Commons Registration (England) Regulations 2014.

Applications made under Section 19 of the 2006 Act

Existing applications 

These are applications made under:

• Section 19(2)(a), Commons Act 2006 - to correct the registers of common land or town and village greens
• paragraphs 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Schedule 2, Commons Act 2006 to remove 'buildings' or 'other land', land that was wrongly registered as either common land or town or village green

Current applications

Comments and objections

Members of the public can inspect applications and their accompanying documents in the Definitive Map Team office.

Comments and objections should be sent to the Definitive Map Team. Please note that any representations will not be treated as confidential.