The Minister for Natural Resources, Alun Davies, is investing £5 million to introduce electronic registers for all common land in Wales.
Common land accounts for 8.5 percent of all land in Wales and makes a valuable contribution to our natural and national heritage. Used primarily for agricultural purposes, common land plays a vital role in the protection and conservation of Wales’s natural habitat.
The introduction of electronic registers for all Welsh common land will replace the current paper based system established in the 1960s, creating a system that is easier to manage, consistent across the country and accessible 24 hours a day. Instant access to the common land register will assist in the response to animal disease outbreaks should they occur on common land.
Alun Davies said: “This £5 million investment, alongside the creation of EIDCymru and ongoing CHP reform, demonstrates our commitment to supporting Wales’s agricultural sector and safeguarding our natural resources.
“The introduction of electronic registration will create a modern and efficient system that will make it quicker and easier for councils to update the register and process applications, as well as improving the overall management of our common land.”
Work will start on the implementation of the register in April 2015 and will be completed by the end of 2017.
