The Trustees of Chislehurst Commons

Although the Commons are in private ownership, under the terms of the 1888 Act, responsibility for their management, in perpetuity, resides with a Board of Conservators, now known as the Trustees of the Commons.

The Board of Trustees comprises 16 local people, all of them unpaid volunteers. One of them is nominated by the Lord of the Manor and the other 15 are appointed, for 3-year terms, by the London Borough of Bromley (LBB). Nominations from local organisations are invited by the LBB. The LBB has no power to remove an individual trustee during their term of office, but there is the sanction of refusing to reappoint at the end of that individual's three years.

The statutory duties of the Trustees, as with all similar bodies of conservators, concentrate on three main areas. Firstly, of key importance, is the protection of the commons' boundaries and the prevention of encroachment, road-widening, enclosures and erection of buildings. Secondly, there is the right and the duty to regulate the behaviour of the public in order to deter the dumping of rubbish, taking vehicles on the commons, lighting fires and other nuisances. These duties are reflected in the Bye-laws , which were framed by the Board in 1901 and are displayed in various parts of the Commons. Thirdly, there is the responsibility for the conservation and enhancement of important habitats.

The Board employs a part-time clerk and a keeper. Thanks to the generosity of local donors (see Funding ) a second keeper is currently employed. The work of the keepers is augmented by two groups of volunteers . One group works every Wednesday and the other group meets on the first Saturday of each month.

The privilege of horse-riding on the Commons was first granted by the Board in 1929. The bridlepaths are indicated by blue and white bands painted on trees bordering them. Riders must keep to the bridlepaths. The upkeep of these paths, as with the footpaths, is the responsibility of the Trustees.

Whilst it is largely true that, as in the past, the work of commons conservators was dominated by the prevention of encroachment and the maintenance of the commons as amenities for public recreation and enjoyment, with the continued decline of natural and semi-natural environments elsewhere, habitat protection and wildlife conservation have become increasingly important priorities. Acts of Parliament in recent times have laid more responsibilities on managers for the protection and enhancement of common lands and other natural sites. Agricultural policies are increasingly bringing farmers under the same broad umbrella. With increasing population density in Bromley and the whole of the south east of England it is all the more important to protect and maintain our local Commons both as “lungs” for humans and sanctuaries for wildlife.

The current trustees are as follows:

Mr Andrew Osmond (Chairman)
Mr Colin Yardley (Vice Chairman)
Mr Ray Philo (Treasurer)
Mr Anthony Bompas QC
Mrs Alex Burman
Mrs Avril Greatrex
Mrs Elizabeth Greenwood
Mr John Hayhow
Miss Jan Hendey
Mr Peter Hedges
Mr Roy Hopper
Mr David Howard
Dr Brian Knight
Mr John Samuel
Mr Antony Wells
Mrs Margaret Yardley
Mr Patrick Phillips, Head of Parks and Greenspaces, London Borough of Bromley.