13 November 2007
Stoke Common transfers to the City of London
Stoke Common in Buckinghamshire was officially transferred into
the ownership and protection of the City of London Corporation on
31 October. The 220 acre site was previously owned and managed by
South Bucks District Council.
Stoke Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an
important public open space for the local community. The transfer
of the land to the City Corporation will ensure the ongoing expert
management of the heathland and guarantee long-term financial
support for the common. The City of London Corporation is also
progressing work with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
(BTCV) on the creation of a new ‘Friends of Stoke Common’
group.
A public ‘drop in’ event will be held in Fulmer Village Hall on
Saturday 15 December, in the afternoon and evening, for local
people to express their views and get involved with the future
management of the Common. Further details on the event are
available from the Burnham Beeches office on 01753 647 358.
The City of London Corporationowns and manages over 10,000 acres
of open spaces in and around London, including Burnham Beeches.
They are all protected as publicly accessible open space through
the ‘City of London (Open Spaces) Act 1878’ which states that the
City ‘shall hold and administer the open space in trust to allow
the enjoyment by the public as an open space.’ Stoke Common is now
dedicated under the provisions of this Act, thus securing the long
term future of the common.
Andy Barnard, Superintendent of Burnham Beeches National Nature
Reserve, said: “Building on the excellent work carried out by South
Bucks District Council, we will ensure that Stoke Common continues
to meet the needs of the local people who love and visit the
site whilst ensuring that this important Site of Special
Scientific Interest is protected.”
Ends
Notes for editors
About the City of London Corporation and its management of green
spaces:
The City of London Corporation provides local government
services for the financial and commercial heart of Britain,
'The Square Mile.' However its responsibilities extend far
beyond the City boundaries; it provides and funds additional
facilities for the benefit of the nation. This includes over
10,000 acres of public open space including such internationally
renowned places as Burnham Beeches, Epping Forest and Hampstead
Heath. Many of the City's Open Spaces are sites of Special
Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserves or Special Areas of
Conservation (the latter being a European designation that reflects
international conservation importance.)
In the 1870's the City Of London was concerned that free access
to the open countryside was being threatened by landowners wanting
to enclose common land and by encroaching urban development.
It therefore embarked on an ambitious programme to protect
countryside in and around London. As a result, two Acts of
Parliament were passed in 1878: The Epping Forest Act and the
Open Spaces Act, which enabled the City to acquire threatened Open
Spaces and protect them for the Nation 'in perpetuity'. So
revolutionary was the work for the City in this respect that the
Open Spaces Act was used by the National Trust as a template
for their own Act of 1895. The City of London Corporation and
the National Trust remain two of the very few organisations that
can provide this 'ultimate' level of protection
to the countryside in the UK.
Press enquires
Michelle Logie at the City of London: 0207 332 3450
michelle.logie@cityoflondon.gov.uk