LAND MANAGEMENT

Statutory Instrument 1982 No 648

THE FORESTRY COMMISSION BYELAWS

The Forestry Commissioners, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 46(1) of the Forestry
Act 1967(a) and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, after consultation with the Verderers of
the New Forest and of the Forest of Dean in accordance with section 47(1) of that Act, hereby make the
following byelaws, a draft of which has been laid before Parliament:-

Title and Commencement

1. These byelaws may be cited as the Forestry Commission Byelaws 1982 and shall come into
operation on 1 June 1982.

Interpretation
2. In these byelaws:-

"the Arboretum" means those lands of the Commissioners known as the Westonbirt Arboretum, Silk
Wood, The Downs and Westonbirt Arboretum Car Park in the County of Gloucestershire;

"the Commissioners" means the Forestry Commissioners;

"the Forest of Dean" means the lands of the Commissioners which are situated in the parishes and
community specified in Schedule 1;

"lands of the Commissioners" means lands which are under the management or control of the
Commissioners and to which the public have, or may be permitted to have, access;

"the New Forest" means the lands of the Commissioners for the time being constituting the area
commonly known as the New Forest in the County of Hampshire;

"the Pinetum" means those lands of the Commissioners known as the Bedgebury Pinetum, Bedgebury
Pinetum Car Park and Forest Plots in the County of Kent.

Application
3. 1. Byelaws 5, 6 and 7 shall apply to all lands of the Commissioners except that byelaw 5.xi
shall not apply to the New Forest or to the Forest of Dean.

2. Byelaws 8 and 9 shall apply only to the Arboretum and the Pinetum, byelaws 10 and 11
shall apply only to the New Forest and byelaw 12 shall apply only to the Forest of Dean.

3. Nothing in these byelaws shall make unlawful anything done with the written authority of
the Commissioners.

4. Nothing in these byelaws shall prejudice or be in derogation of any right, power or duty
vested in, or imposed on, the Verderers of the New Forest or of the Forest of Dean by virtue of any
enactment or otherwise.

Revocation of Byelaws
4. The byelaws mentioned in Schedule 2 are hereby revoked.

Acts Prohibited on the Lands of the Commissioners

5. No person shall in or on the lands of the Commissioners:-

i. enter any area on or near which there is displayed by the Commissioners

a notice prohibiting entry thereon;

ii. enter any building, structure or mine unless there is a notice displayed thereon by the
Commissioners permitting or implying access thereto;

iii. leave open or obstruct any gate or moveable barrier giving access to any enclosed plantation or
other enclosed area;
iv. light any fire or stove or leave any lighted match, tobacco, cigar or
cigarette;

v. remove or damage any building, wall, gate, stile, fence, railing, post, chain, seat, drain, pipe-line,
notice-board, receptacle for rubbish or any other thing belonging to the Commissioners;

vi. display any notice, placard or bill;

vii. dig up, remove, cut or injure any tree, shrub or plant, whether living or not, or remove the
seeds therefrom, or dig up or remove any soil, turf, leafmould, moss, peat, gravel, slag, sands or
minerals of any kind;

viii. disturb or remove archaeological or historical remains;

ix. operate a metal detector;

x. set up or place any caravan, tent, booth, stall or erection of any

kind, including equestian equipment;

xi. turn out to graze or feed or allow to remain thereon any animal or
fowl;

xii. permit any animal in his charge to be out of control;

xiii. except in the New Forest or on bridleways, which are public bridleways or bridleways
specified by the Commissioners, ride or lead any horse;

xiv. permit a dog for which he is responsible to disturb, worry or chase any bird or animal or,
on being requested by an officer of the Commissioners, fail to keep the dog on a leash;

xv. ply for hire with, or let out for hire, any mechanically-propelled or other vehicle of any
horse or other animal;

xvi. sell or distribute anything or offer or expose anything for sale;

xvii. set up beehives;

xviii. wilfully disturb, injure, catch, net, destroy or take any bird, fish, reptile or animal, or
attempt to do so, or take the eggs of any bird;

xix. catch or net for the purposes of any collection any butterfly, moth or dragonfly;

xx. wilfully disturb, damage or destroy the burrow, den, set or lair of any wild animal;

xxi. carry or use any firearm, shotgun, bow or other missile weapon, or any ammunition or
missile for use therewith;

xxii. dam or obstruct or restrain the flow of water in any watercourse or break the banks thereof,
or open or close any sluice belonging to the Commissioners;

xxiii. operate any aircraft, glider, hot-air balloon, boat, raft or craft or any kind, or any model
aircraft, boat or car;

xxiv. play or practise any game or sport in such a manner as to disturb the peaceful use of such
lands or endanger the public or animals;

xxv. play any musical instrument or operate any radio receiving set or any other apparatus for
the production or emission by electrical or mechanical means of sound, speech or images in such a
manner as to cause annoyance to any person lawfully in or on such lands;

xxvi. wilfully obstruct, disturb or annoy in any manner any person lawfully in or on such lands;

xxvii. wilfully break any bottle or glass object;

xxviii. place or leave on such lands (except in receptacles provided for the purpose by the
Commissioners or by any other competent authority) any litter, rubbish, filth or refuse of any kind;
 xxix. direct or discharge or cause to be directed or discharged, whether by means of a pipe,
stream or excavation or in any other manner, any sewage or other noxious substance or any
dangerous chemicals in such a manner as to constitute a nuisance;

xxx. deliver any public speech, lecture, sermon or address, or hold or take part in any public
meeting, procession, exhibition or festival of any kind;

xxxi. wilfully evade payment of any charges or tolls levied by the Commissioners for the use of
car parks or forest roads.

6. 1. Subject to paragraph 2 of this byelaw no person shall bring or cause to be brought on to the
lands of the Commissioners any vehicle other than a perambulator or wheelchair drawn or
propelled by hand or by electrical power and used solely for the conveyance of a child or children
or an invalid.

2. a. Paragraph 1 of this byelaw shall not apply:-

i. to the parking of any vehicle by the side of a highway;

ii, where the Commissioners provide an area for use for the parking or stopping thereon of
vehicles of any specified class or classes, to the bringing into such an area by any person of
a vehicle of the specified class or classes, or to the use of any such vehicle on a route or
way specified by the Commissioners for obtaining access to such an area.

b. If any such area or access route or way referred to in paragraph 2.a.ii of this byelaw is
provided by the Commissioners for use only during a specified period of the day, the
provisions of that paragraph shall not have effect in relation to the bringing by any person
of any vehicle into that area or on to that access route or way at any other time.

7. No person shall on the lands of the Commissioners:-

i. drive a motor vehicle as a learner driver;

ii. use or operate a motor vehicle without an efficient silencer;

iii. park or leave unattended a motor vehicle between the hours of sunset and sunrise except by the
side of a highway for a stop of reasonable duration for refreshment or other reasonable cause.

Additional Acts prohibited in the Arboretum and the Pinetum

8. No person shall in the Arboretum or the Pinetum:-

i. picnic otherwise than where the Commissioners set apart a space described in a notice
displayed there;

ii. play any ball game;

iii. bathe or wade in any pond or stream;

iv. climb any tree, wall or fence;

v. fly any kite.

9. No person shall:-

i. enter or leave the Arboretum or the Pinetum otherwise than by an

entrance or exit authorised by the Commissioners;

ii. bring into the Arboretum or the Pinetum any plant or any living part of a plant.

Additional Acts prohibited in the New Forest

10. No person shall in the New Forest drive any vehicle at a speed greater than 20 miles per hour.

11. No person shall in the New Forest:-

 i. turn out in any area of plantations enclosed by the Commissioners to
graze or feed or allow to remain therein any animal or fowl;

ii. without lawful authority, turn out in any area of the Forest (not being an area of plantations
enclosed by the Commissioners) to graze or feed or allow to remain therein any animal or fowl.

Additional Acts prohibited in the Forest of Dean

12. No person shall in the Forest of Dean:-

i. turn out in any area of plantations enclosed by the Commissioners to

graze or feed or allow to remain therein any animal or fowl;

ii. without lawful authority, turn out in any area of the Forest (not being an area of plantations
enclosed by the Commissioners) to graze or feed or allow to remain therein any animal or fowl
except such sheep as the Commissioners suffer to graze therein;

iii. turn out in any area of the Forest (not being an area of plantations enclosed by the
Commissioners) to graze or feed or allow to remain therein any sheep, other than a lamb, which is
not clearly marked with the owner's identification marks being identification marks registered with
the Deputy Surveyor of the Forest of Dean as the owner's.

SCHEDULE 1
Byelaw 2
The Forest of Dean
Parishes and Community

In the County of Gloucestershire, the parishes of Alvington, Awre, Blaisdon, Cinderford, Coleford,
Drybrook, English Bicknor, Hewelsfield, Littledean, Longhope, Lydbrook, Lydney, Mitcheldean,
Newland, Newnham, Ruardean, Ruspidge, St. Briavels, Staunton, Tidenham, West Dean and Woolaston.

In the County of Hereford and Worcester, the parishes of Goodrich, Hope Mansell, Ross Rural, Walford
and Whitchurch.

In the County of Gwent, the part of Monmouth Community which is situated east of the River Wye.

SCHEDULE 2
Byelaw 4

Byelaws revoked Reference

The Bedgebury Pinetum Byelaws 1969 SI 1969/ 312
The New Forest Byelaws 1970 SI 1970/1068
The Forestry Commission Byelaws 1971 SI 1971/ 997
The Westonbirt Arboretum Byelaws 1972 SI 1972/ 303
The Forest of Dean Byelaws 1975 SI 1975/ 918
The Forestry Commission Byelaws 1975 SI 1975/ 919