New Byelaws: Statement of Assessment

BYELAWS FOR ABINGER HAMMER GREEN; ABINGER COMMON GREEN and FOREST GREEN

Statement of Assessment of the impact of the Proposed Byelaws

Introduction

Abinger Parish Council is responsible for the management of three village greens at Abinger Hammer, Abinger Common and Forest Green, registered under the Commons Registration Act 1965. The greens are presently subject to byelaws made by the Council in 1962. The greens differ in character and size. The greens are used for a variety of forms of recreation – cricket, football, other ball games, horse-riding, walking. More formalised activities include games of cricket on a prepared pitch, children’s playgrounds, and a range of community activities during the year such as fairs and bonfires. The greens are an important resource for local residents.

Recent Changes

In recent use the use of the greens has changed both in the kind of use made of the greens and in the number of people involved. Particular changes include casual parking of vehicles, sometimes overnight; barbecues; the erection of signs promoting commercial activities; unauthorised planting; digging on the greens. A stream runs through Abinger Hammer Green which is widely publicised – by Surrey County Council and on Mumsnet – as a good place to come with small children – it is often called ‘Abinger Beach’.The number of visitors to Abinger Hammer Green has increased hugely, especially in the summer.

Objective of new byelaws

In making new byelaws the Parish Council wishes to preserve the greens as places of recreation for local residents and others and to support the continuation of sport on the greens as well as other community activities and events, while at the same time controlling activities which tend to hamper those purposes. The 1962 byelaws are no longer adequate for this purpose, and in particular do not address the following areas:

Protection of wildlife
Camping
Fires and barbecues
Horse riding
Regulation of playgrounds
Adequate regulation of ball games
Commercial activities and public entertainment
Model aircraft or drones
Metal detecting
Vehicles driving and parking on the greens
Damage to the surface of the greens

Alternative means of securing this objective

The Parish Council does not believe that this objective can be satisfactorily secured by other means.

Impact of proposed byelaws

The Parish Council has consulted with the cricket clubs who use pitches on any of the greens and with local organisations who use the greens for community activities and events. The Parish Council believes that the proposed byelaws will have no adverse impact on any of these activities provided they are carried on reasonably and in accordance with good practice.

Regulatory burden

The Parish Council believes that the proposed byelaws will neither increase or lessen the regulatory burden on persons potentially affected by the proposed byelaws.

Effect of no further action

The Parish Council considers that not to make the proposed byelaws will have a detrimental effect on the preservation of the greens as places of recreation and their use as significant community amenities.

Abinger Parish Council
19th April 2017