Town Green Applications

Town and Village Greens developed under customary law as areas of land where local people indulged in lawful sports and pastimes. Anyone can apply to have land registered as a green if it has been used by local people for recreation ‘as of right’ (i.e. without permission, force or secrecy) for at least 20 years.

Many groups that are members of the Bristol Parks Forum have applied for Town Green status for their sites. In the past the BPF has organised a workshop session and BPF meetings are an opportunity to exchange information.

The register of Town Greens & Common Land in Bristol is shown on the Council’s website:

Register of Town Greens and Commons in Bristol

The areas covered by Town Greens are also shown on the Council’s mapping system:

Links to each area on the Council’s mapping system (pdf)

For the latest information on current applications please see the papers for meetings of the Council’s Public Rights of Way and Greens Committee via www.bristol.gov.uk/CommitteeMeetingFinder (listed under ‘Regulatory Committees/Appeals Committee’).

BPF notes & list of concluded Town Green Applications in Bristol (pdf, updated 2019)

defra – Town & Village Greens information

Guidance on the Open Spaces Society website

Common land and village green information on BCC website