The Farmers’ Union of Wales today claimed victory in its fight to alleviate a problem some Glamorgan farmers faced in respect of a notice served on them by the Land Registry.
The notice related to an attempt by the trustees of the Ogmore Angling Association to register a "profit a prendre" which would have given them sole and exclusive fishing rights on the river Ogmore and its tributaries.
Over 140 separate notices were served on landowners covering the Ogmore River and its tributaries. However, the union has now learned the Land Registry has cancelled these applications due to the trustees' solicitor failing to respond to the objections raised.
The FUW was actively involved in objecting on behalf of a number of members in addition to writing directly to the Ogmore Angling Association trustees and the Land Registry and believes their involvement has helped ensure this matter does not proceed.
FUW county executive officer Glyn Davies said: “The processing of these applications by the Land Registry has cost a great deal of taxpayers' money and has also caused a huge amount of distress and anger to landowners involved in this attempt to register a profit a prendre on their land.
“Even more alarming is the fact that this is the second attempt by the trustees of the Ogmore Angling Association to register these rights, following the first application in 2008 which was again cancelled by the Land Registry.
"In light of these applications, the FUW would welcome a review by the Welsh and Westminster Governments to ensure that there is no further abuse of the profit a prendre system."
One FUW member who complained about receiving a notice, Beatrice Hayball-Jones, said she is “extremely glad" of the support given to her by the union and is adamant its involvement played a significant role in causing the failure of the attempt to register fishing rights on her land.
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Beatrice Hayball-Jones alongside the section of river that runs through her farm at Treoes in the Vale of Glamorgan[/caption]