Commoners want rights protected over Unesco bid

Traditional commoners who use public land for grazing want their ancient rights to be preserved if an ancient woodland is granted Unesco biosphere status.

Forest of Dean District Council is applying for the status, which would see the area recognised as a landscape which balances biodiversity conservation with sustainable development.

The council said commoning would be celebrated if the biosphere move succeeds, but The Commoners' Association has raised concerns about a lack of consultation.

West Dean Parish Council, which represents more than 10,000 residents, has called for an immediate pause to the application over concerns few residents know of the plans.

The Commoners' Association represents people who practice communing, an ancient tradition which involves grazing livestock on public land - including open woodlands.

It said they had questions over what the status would mean for the ancient tradition and their livelihoods, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The practice dates back to at least 1215, when the rights of commoners were enshrined in the Magna Carta.

Mick Holder, general secretary of the association, has requested further information about the application.

"We, the commoners, are not prepared to compromise our rights in any shape or form in respect of money, goods or any other thing," said Holder.

"Commoning is still very much alive in the Forest of Dean," he said. "It's important that we don't get any obstructions to commoning."

West Dean Parish Council also spoke out against the plan.

"West Dean Parish councillors, along with other local groups believe that the plan will have a huge impact on local people and businesses, most of whom know little or nothing about it, and have so far been unable to find suitable information or to voice an opinion on the plan," it said.

A spokesperson for the district council said Unesco biospheres are about collaborative working and the designation would benefit from local partnerships.

"Commoners' activities, grazing, would continue totally unchanged reflecting points that have been discussed previously in meetings with Commoners and in response to similar concerns," they added.

"It is the relationship between people and place that biospheres seek to acknowledge, celebrate and support, and commoning is a perfect example of how people have shaped our landscape through time."

They also said the status could also benefit commoners by providing support for future generations or funding for habitat restoration and grazing infrastructure.

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