Citation, interpretation and application

1. —(1) This Order may be cited as the Commons Act 2006 (Commencement No. 2, Transitional Provisions and Savings) (England) Order 2007.

(2) In this Order—

“the 1965 Act” means the Commons Registration Act 1965( 2 ); and

“the 2006 Act” means the Commons Act 2006.

(3) This Order applies in relation to England only.

Commencement of provisions

2. The following provisions of the 2006 Act shall come into force on 20th February 2007—

(a) in Schedule 5 (minor and consequential amendments)—

(i) paragraph 4 (Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988), and

(ii) in paragraph 6 (Environment Act 1995), sub-paragraph (a); and

(b) section 52, insofar as it relates to those provisions.

3. The following provisions of the 2006 Act shall come into force on 6th April 2007—

(a) section 4 (commons registration authorities);

(b) section 5 (land to which Part 1 applies);

(c) section 15 (registration of greens);

(d) section 24 (applications etc ); and

(e) the following entries in Part 1 of Schedule 6 (repeals relating to registration), and section 53 insofar as it relates to those entries—

(i) Commons Registration Act 1965( 3 ), to the extent of repealing section 13(b);

(ii) Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000( 4 ), section 98.

Transitional provisions and savings

4. —(1) Where a commons registration authority grants an application under section 15 of the 2006 Act for the registration of land as a town or village green before section 1 of the 2006 Act has come into force in relation to the area in which the land is situated—

(a) it shall register the land in the register of town or village greens maintained for that area under the 1965 Act; and

(b) until the coming into force of section 1 of the 2006 Act in relation to that area, the 1965 Act shall apply in relation to the registration as if it had been made pursuant to section 13(b) of that Act.

(2) In relation to any area of England, references in section 24 of the 2006 Act, and in regulations made under that section, to a register of common land or town or village greens shall, until the coming into force of section 1 of the 2006 Act in relation to that area, be taken to be references to such a register maintained under the 1965 Act.

(3) In relation to any area of England, section 13(b) of the 1965 Act and regulations made under it( 5 ) shall—

(a) until the coming into force of section 6 of the 2006 Act in relation to that area, continue to have effect insofar as they relate to land which becomes common land other than by virtue of any instrument made under or pursuant to an enactment; and

(b) until the coming into force of section 14 of the 2006 Act in relation to that area, continue to have effect insofar as they relate to land which becomes common land or a town or village green by virtue of any instrument made under or pursuant to an enactment.

(4) Where—

(a) an application is made before 6th April 2007 to a registration authority, pursuant to section 13(b) of the 1965 Act, for the amendment of the register of town or village greens as a result of any land having become a town or village green, and

(b) the registration authority does not determine the application before that date,

the registration authority shall continue to deal with the application on and after 6th April 2007 as if section 13(b) had not been repealed.