New Forest CDA presentments on Pannage season and railway fencing at Verderers’ Court

The New Forest CDA made two presentments this week during Verderers’ Court at King’s Hall in Lyndhurst.

The first concerned Pannage season, which started on Monday, September 15. The season is due to end on Friday, 28 November but the CDA has requested an extension to this due to the glut of acorns this year.

Chair Andrew Parry-Norton told the court: ‘This year is an exceptional year for acorns, a lot have fallen over the last couple of weeks.

‘The main crop of acorns is still to fall, [presenting] a serious risk to our cattle and ponies. We request that the Pannage season is extended until the New Year.’

The second presentment followed an incident which happened on the railway line near Sway, when a steer was hit by a train.

The CDA is calling on Verderers for support in pursuing the matter further with Network Rail.

‘As a matter of extreme urgency we ask the Verderers to join with us, the CDA, by putting pressure on Network Rail to admit liability for the Commoner’s steer and immediately replace the railway fencing throughout the Forest before any further stock and potentially people’s lives, are put at risk,’ the court heard.

Read the presentments in full below.

CDA Presentment Sept 25