If you missed our recent DEFRA Commons Test and Trial webinar on commons governance and finance you can watch it here 

This was the third in our series of webinars with the Foundation for Common Land. It was great to see so many people turn up and to hear our thoughts on governance and finance on commons.

The event started with a Progress Update on our Commons Test and Trial. 

Jo Swiers, T & T Programme Manager, explained in more detail the following issues which keep coming up throughout the Test & Trial.  These are:

  • Assessing the condition of public goods – where are the gaps?  who assess? what standard should we all be working to?
  • Mapping – which tools should we use? who does the mapping? to what standard?
  • Brokering relationships and power dynamics –  who is contributing to scheme delivery? who gets paid? who’s involved in decision making?

Our learning is  being fed into the development of the Commons Toolkit

Followed by Four presentations on Governance and Finance

Our four presenters provided lots of tried and tested advice based on their own experience :

  • David Morley, Head of Conservation and Environment, H & H Land & Estates provided information on the costs of  entering common land into an environmental scheme. His presentation was delivered by Jo
  • Julia Aglionby, Executive Director Foundation for Common Land, explained governance systems and procedures including the steps needed to set up an Internal Agreement
  • Mike Dyke, Woodland & Environmental Advisor H & H Land & Estates explained how to deliver capital works on commons
  •  Viv Lewis, Administrator Federation of Cumbria Commoners talked about how to keep commoners’ associations and scheme running smoothly. Also what to do if things go wrong!