Commons Bill [HL]

I am glad that we can start off on a friendly note, and I shall continue on a particularly friendly note. The amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Vinson, would enable the owner of any piece of land voluntarily to dedicate it by deed as a town or village green. Similarly, amendments tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, would enable the owner of any piece of land voluntarily to direct that it should be registered as a town or village green. Some noble Lords will know from our 2002 policy statement that it is government policy that landowners should be able to register land voluntarily as a town or village green so that it may acquire the status of a green and the protection that that brings to the land for the future. It follows that we have considerable sympathy with the aim behind the two pairs of amendments. We cannot accept them in their current form, but we certainly see some merit in the thinking behind them. I undertake to give them further consideration before Report and so I invite the noble Lord to withdraw his amendment today and await future events.