Found this from one of my FB contacts who is a new-age traveller:
Llansteffan & Llanybri Community Council (LLCC) have for some months been reviewing the potential for Carmarthenshire County Council (CCC) to develop a formal car park at the northern end of the Village Green.
Historically, when this land was common ground, vehicles were parked on it. A Supreme Court judgement determined that activities lawfully conducted on land before it became a Village Green may continue thereafter. This legal ruling set a precedent, and confirms that vehicles may continue to park legally and free of charge on this land, as has been the case in the past.
However, despite vehicles being allowed to park, the Inclosures Act 1857 and the Commons Act 1859 (the “Victorian Statutes”) make it unlawful to undertake certain actions which may cause damage to a Village Green or interfere with the use of a Village Green. Therefore, the Community Council did not feel it appropriate to sanction and facilitate a proposal that seeks to remodel the Village Green into a paid-for car park with permanent infrastructure such as tarmac car driving lanes, lighting and parking payment meters.
In reaching the decision that it would be unlawful to support this proposal, Councillors considered the following implications:
• Residents could lose the right to park on the Village Green free of charge;
• All visitors, residents & tourists could lose the right to park any type of vehicle eg horse boxes, on the land;
• Residents and tourists, now and future generations, could lose the use of this land for recreation and leisure if it were permanently remodelled;
• The Code of Conduct requires Councillors to obey the law.
Councillors want to thank residents for their patience whilst members took legal advice on the proposal. LLCC are aware that there will be a range of responses to this decision. Any questions or commentary may be directed to the Clerk: llansteffanandllanybri@gmail.com and will be answered as soon as possible.
