The council has several parcels of land throughout the metropolitan district which are made available for grazing. There are also areas which are let for mowing only, i.e. where a licensee is permitted to mow the grass to make and remove hay or silage.
We send out details of both the grazing and mowing licences during February and March and ask applicants to complete an offer form. We let applicants know that they are successful by the end of March.
The grazing licences normally run from the beginning of April to the end of November, and the mowing licences normally run from April to the end of September, depending on the site and ground conditions.
No buildings, shelters or other structures are permitted, and the grazier is expected to ensure the fencing is stock-proof and adequate water is provided.
As a general rule, to protect the condition of the land for the subsequent season(s), no overwintering of livestock is permitted. Licensees need to make separate provision for the winter months.
Because of the need to regularly monitor grazing livestock, only available sites within a reasonable distance from the applicants home will normally be offered.
The best time to make an application is between November and the end of January. Sites are normally let by the end of March so late requests are not usually successful.
You may be aware of an area of land which is not being used and that you think has potential for grazing. If this is the case, if you let us have a plan of the land, we can investigate to see if it can be made available.
If you would like more details about grazing and mowing sites you can complete the online form below. Alternatively you can fill in the attached form (available to download and print in pfd format from this page). This means that we can send you details of appropriate sites. You can also contact us using the details on the top right hand side of this page.