GREENHAM & CROOKHAM COMMONS COMMISSION

Committees

(1) Grazing Committee

This Committee was formed in March 2003. The first meeting was held on 8th May. That meeting set the structure as to how the Committee will handle business and report to the Commission.

There are grazing rights covering various livestock, but the main focus of the committee lies with cattle and ponies. These herds have the greatest impact on the ecology and conservation of the common.

Regulations were drafted and presented to the Commission for comment in March 2005 and then sent out to commoners on the 14th for any representation any may wish to make. These were approved for confirmation by the Secretary of State at the Department for Rural Affairs (Defra).

Grazing Regulations for the proper management of Greenham and Crookham Commons and to ensure proper standards of welfare and husbandry.

  1. All graziers wishing to graze animals should declare their intentions with regard to numbers, breed, gender, and reasons for grazing to the Commission, by the 31st January in each year, prior to turning animals out onto the Common. The Council may, after consultation with the Commission, fix the maximum number of animals of each species to be grazed on the Common.
  2. All animals on the Common must bear a mark or tag, or be marked in any other way, so that the ownership of those animals can be easily identified.
  3. The use of avermectin group veterinary treatments is prohibited, due to their residual effects on invertebrate life on the Common.
  4. The following are not permitted to graze on the Common at any time;
    • Shod equines.
    • Any animal which has become unthrifty, or is in such a condition that to remain on the Common would be likely to cause the animal unnecessary suffering.
    • Any animal, or animals of a particular description where the Commission is satisfied that exclusion is necessary.
  5. Stallions, rams, bulls or other entire male animals over six months old must not be grazed on the Common without the prior written permission of the Commission.
  6. Graziers are responsible for ensuring the good husbandry and maintenance of health of all animals to be grazed on the Common. Graziers are responsible for day to day welfare inspections, or for arranging these inspections and are responsible for all associated costs for their livestock and for removing any dead animal, or animal which has become ill or unthrifty. Graziers will ensure that any dead animal is, whenever reasonably practicable, removed from the Common as soon as possible after its death has occurred.
  7. There shall be no supplementary feeding on the Common except in exceptional circumstances and only on those areas of the Common designated for supplementary feeding under those circumstances. These areas will be agreed in advance with the Commission.
  8. The Commission, in consultation with the Council, and with prior notice of not less than thirty-one days, may ask for livestock to be removed for an agreed period* to allow for the proper maintenance of the Common, or for the promotion of proper standards of livestock husbandry.
    *This period will not normally exceed thirty-one days in any calendar year.
  9. If a grazier breaches any regulation, any animal may, after consultation with the grazier, and reasonable notice, be removed from the Common by an agent of the Council and the costs recovered from the grazier.

The committee now acts in a monitoring mode on numbers of stock, condition of grazing, managing and advising graziers on Defra. and other regulations. Matters such as the effects of change in European Common Agricultural Policy, traffic management on Bury's Bank road where accidents with stock on the road have occurred, supplementary feeding have all been dealt with. A decision to breed Old British White blood into the stock was taken. This had the double advantage of giving greater visibility at night and increases the heritage of a traditional breed They now also co-ordinate with the Exmoor Pony's Society local representative on the management of the breeding herd now resident on the Common.

The members of the Committee have changed since formation and now consist of the following;
Chris Austin
Paul Hendry
Chris Tufnel
Michael Wilde
Adrian Wallington as an advisory member
and Ken Neale in attendance.

An update is reported at every quarterly Commission Meeting.

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Grazing Committee Mgt. Plan Committee Planning Committee