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Localism Bill

232: After Clause 130, insert the following new Clause— ““Town and village green legislation (1) Regulations may make provision relating to powers for registration authorities to decline to accept proposals under section 15 of the Commons Act 2006. (2) The regulations may in particular make provision— (a) dealing with any case of proposals submitted under section 15 of the Commons Act 2006 where in the view of the registration authority insufficient evidence has been submitted or there is strong evidence that the application could not meet the criteria for registration; and (b) dealing with costs incurred by the registration authority in amending or dismissing the application in cases of frivolous or vexatious proposals. (3) Regulations may make provision relating to powers for registration authorities to reject proposals accepted under section 15 of the Commons Act 2006. (4) The regulations may in particular make provision— (a) dealing with any case of proposals accepted under section 15 of the Commons Act 2006 and which are subsequently deemed in the view of the registration authority to be frivolous or vexatious; (b) as to the award of costs to relevant parties and as to the parties by whom the costs are to be made. (5) In subsection (4), an application is ““frivolous or vexatious”” if it discloses no reasonable grounds for the application or is otherwise an abuse of process. (6) Section 15(4) of the Commons Act 2006 does not apply in relation to any land where there is an extant planning permission in respect of the whole or any part of the land for the life of the permission.””