The Forest of Dean’s bid for Unesco biosphere status could get the support of the commoners if their ancient right is re-confirmed and a group dealing with sheep is re-established.
Forest of Dean District Council chiefs are in the process of applying for the status to give the area’s landscapes, wildlife, and heritage international recognition.
However, concerns have been raised over a lack of public consultation on the council’s bid and what such a designation could mean for public access across the Dean.
The Commoners’ Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the tradition of commoning in the Forest of Dean, is among those who are suspicious of the proposal.
They have questions over what it will mean for their ancient tradition which they would like re-confirmed.
General secretary Mick Holder said: “We, the commoners, are not prepared to compromise our rights in any shape or form in respect of money, goods or any other thing.
Forest of Dean Commoners’ Association general secretary Mick Holder(Image: Carmelo Garcia)
“If it means we’ve got to compromise, we are not having it.”
He said they have had three meetings on the matter to and have requested further information about the biosphere reserve application and how it would affect them.
“The commoners’ right is a traditional right, it’s something we’ve had since birth,” he said.
“It’s mentioned in the Charter of the Forest which was signed in 1217, giving us the right of pasture.
“Commoning is still very much alive in the Forest of Dean. It’s important that we don’t get any obstructions to commoning.”
He also wants the Sheep Liaison Group, a multi-agency partnership which addresses sheep related issues like traffic accidents, welfare, and nuisance complaints, to be re-established.
“As an example, at Elton Corner, on the A48, there is currently a carcass of a deer, we think,” he said.
Free roaming sheep in the Forest of Dean (Image: GLOUCESTERSHIRE MEDIA)
“We haven’t been to investigate. It might be sheep and nobody wants to take responsibility for that carcass.”
He also said there is also an outbreak of scab in the area which would generally be dealt with by the Sheep Liaison Group.
“Over in Greece, which is not a million miles away, there is a serious outbreak of foot and mouth,” he said.
“Not very far away from Greece is an outbreak of swine fever. In the event that one or all of that comes to the Forest of Dean, who’s going to deal with it then?
“No sheep liaison group, nobody to deal with it.”
The Forest of Dean District Council says commoning would be one of the core practices celebrated within a Unesco biosphere designation for the area.
A draft map of the proposed Forest of Dean Biosphere(Image: FoDDC)
And that Unesco biospheres are about collaborative working and they 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,” a spokesperson said.
“In fact, it would be one of the core practices celebrated within a biosphere designation. It’s one of a handful of activities that makes the Forest of Dean district special and unique.
“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.
“Within the application form Unesco seek to enquire about customary or traditional land uses and aims to recognise them and protect them as part of the designation.
“It is hoped, should they wish, that representatives of the commoners would be involved in the biosphere governance structure, so that the practice and role of commoning is embedded in the work of the biosphere.”
Forest of Dean District Council offices in Coleford. (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
They also said a biosphere could also benefit commoners by providing funding for habitat restoration, grazing infrastructure, or support for future generations.
“Biospheres are about people working together for their area economically, socially and environmentally for now and with future generations in mind. While a biosphere cannot mandate a group or organisation to participate, it gets its strength from the local partnerships and the internationally recognised framework to work within.
“Subject to further consultation it is suggested that the biosphere has a stewardship assembly that commoners and freeminers have at least one to two representatives, with the majority of the assembly being made of residents. In the delivery partnership we would hope that again they would have good representation as their deeper knowledge would be particularly valuable.
“As such, the stewardship assembly would set strategic direction, and the delivery partnership would deal with funding and management of priorities (in line with the general direction set by the assembly). There would be scrutiny of these decisions by the custodians and monitoring panel (which we hope the verderers would be represented on) to make sure that the more technical decisions made by the delivery partnership are aligned with the direction set by the assembly.
“In addition, we expect there will be topic or theme working groups, set up through the stewardship assembly or delivery partnership which can look at a specific area such as commoning and grazing, skills and the green economy etc.
“Therefore, the governance structure proposed will ensure the commoners have full representation. Biosphere partners include the district council, Gloucestershire County Council and Forestry England which will provide a strong basis for a commoning and grazing liaison group.
“As such, the system as proposed is designed so no one group has greatest authority over another, but so each group has equal representation, and the residents have a chance to truly participate in local priorities.
“While the governance model can’t be final until all have agreed, we have deliberately included several different groups in the proposals to illustrate our hopes for the potential of further formalising the history of self-governance in the Forest of Dean as a result of biosphere status.”