team tractor Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) Is it illegal to shoot near solar panels? My friend said it's illegal to shoot within 1/2 a mile . I'm not stupid and don't shoot near any but I'm thinking for future reference . I've tried googling it and searched the basc site Only a **** would shot towards them I know but purely for my own knowledge Edited January 26, 2015 by team tractor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 It's not illegal. It's against the law if falling shot was to land on them and they weren't on your permission and it would be a bit silly allowing shot to fall on them if they were on your permission. Nothing wrong with shooting away from them with the wind also blowing away from them if your using a shotgun. There is a solar farm on the estate and there would be hell on if the foxes weren't controlled in the fields near them (well within 1/2 a mile of them). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) It's not illegal. It's against the law if falling shot was to land on them and they weren't on your permission and it would be a bit silly allowing shot to fall on them if they were on your permission. Nothing wrong with shooting away from them with the wind also blowing away from them if your using a shotgun. There is a solar farm on the estate and there would be hell on if the foxes weren't controlled in the fields near them (well within 1/2 a mile of them). Wrong. Allowing a fired bullet or air rifle pellet to leave the boundaries of the land you have permission to shoot on is a criminal offence. Falling shot from a shotgun is not mentioned in the law. Edited January 26, 2015 by robbiep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 When the estate decided to take the deer 'in house', the first I heard about it was in a letter from the police asking me what I was going to do with my 243 now that I can't shoot deer or use any deer legal calibre (does not include the dinkies as we don't have any) on the estate land. Turned out that instead of courteously contacting their tenants, the estate went straight to the police and said nobody is permitted to shoot 243 on our land any more except for our stalker. Now they're in the middle of building a 20 acre array (having taken 30 odd acres in total from their tenant without so much as a by your leave), with the aforementioned attitude you can bet your bottom dollar that if it was illegal, I'd have heard about it by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Wrong. Allowing a fired bullet or air rifle pellet to leave the boundaries of the land you have permission to shoot on is a criminal offence. Falling shot from a shotgun is not mentioned in the law. Go and rain some shot down on a housing estate and see how long it is before plod turns up . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 There is a solar farm on the estate and there would be hell on if the foxes weren't controlled in the fields near them (well within 1/2 a mile of them). Could I ask how long it's been there, please? The reason I ask is that the planning application was up against the fact that the array is within spitting distance of an AONB so they used every point that they could think of in order to get the approval. One of these was that the land would remain agricultural as sheep could still graze in/around/under the panels. They've now got most of the panels installed and as they're doing it as we speak, you can imagine the state of the ground - not a blade of grass to be seen. As it's like the black hole of Calcutta under the panels, I can't see that it will ever fully recover. How say you? PS: OP, please forgive the high-jack as this is the only time I've come across anyone who might be able to answer the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Go and rain some shot down on a housing estate and see how long it is before plod turns up . Oh, it might not be wise. I'm sure that it could come under other laws - including disturbing another person's lawful enjoyment of their property, etc. However, that was not the point. The point was that the initial reply stated that allowing shot from a shotgun to leave the boundary of your permission was a crime. That was incorrect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Could I ask how long it's been there, please? The reason I ask is that the planning application was up against the fact that the array is within spitting distance of an AONB so they used every point that they could think of in order to get the approval. One of these was that the land would remain agricultural as sheep could still graze in/around/under the panels. They've now got most of the panels installed and as they're doing it as we speak, you can imagine the state of the ground - not a blade of grass to be seen. As it's like the black hole of Calcutta under the panels, I can't see that it will ever fully recover. How say you? PS: OP, please forgive the high-jack as this is the only time I've come across anyone who might be able to answer the question. Slightly different to your position. The panes have been up a couple of years but they were built on the remains of an old airstrip that was pretty much overgrown and would possibly have been classed as a brownfield site (not sure on that one). The panels have gravel/hardcore covering the ground beneath them but if they were build along the lines of what you describe and the grass was able to grow again (pretty doubtful) I would have thought it wouldn't be easy or sensible to graze the sheep on as the bottom edge of the panels aren't high off the ground and could be easily damaged from grazing sheep. I will take a photo when I get a chance and pm it to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) Oh, it might not be wise. I'm sure that it could come under other laws - including disturbing another person's lawful enjoyment of their property, etc. However, that was not the point. The point was that the initial reply stated that allowing shot from a shotgun to leave the boundary of your permission was a crime. That was incorrect. Sorry Robbie but I didn't mention the shot leaving the boundary but said it was against the law to allow shot to fall on the panels on someone else's property (the part you highlighted), it comes under criminal damage laws of some sort (don't actually know which one it falls under but it does exist) Edited January 26, 2015 by r1steele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rst1990 Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 can't see a problem shooting near a solar panel, just don't shoot at them or let shot fall on them as I know they are fragile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I would imagine they are made to with stand hail stones so doubt falling shot would be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Oh, it might not be wise. I'm sure that it could come under other laws - including disturbing another person's lawful enjoyment of their property, etc. However, that was not the point. The point was that the initial reply stated that allowing shot from a shotgun to leave the boundary of your permission was a crime. That was incorrect. think shot falling outside of your permission is a offence, just hard to prove on normal land but possibly easier with the panels. went through this many years ago with a anti farmer who had a couple of fields within my patch, thought I would sort it by asking BASC and told spent shot should fall within your land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I would imagine they are made to with stand hail stones so doubt falling shot would be a problem. I was just thinking the same, that stuff can hurt when it hits you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Falling bb's can give a bit more sting than hail stones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lister22 Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 shot falling on someone else's land is civil ie trespass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 An interesting case law, In Stanley v. Powell, (1891) 1 QB 86; the plaintiff and the defendant, who were members of a shooting party, went for pheasant shooting. The defendant fired at a pheasant, but the shot from his gun glanced off an oak tree and injured the plaintiff. It was held that the accident was an inevitable accident and the defendant was not liable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 shot falling on someone else's land is civil ie trespass? This is exactly what a police wildlife crime officer told me. So not a police matter, although they may be called by the victim. If its a bullet and not spent - thats plain stupid as well as criminal, potentially, so that is a police matter. There is no law relating to proximity as far as I am aware - except the law of Common Sense as others have set out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leadbreakfast Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Wrong. Allowing a fired bullet or air rifle pellet to leave the boundaries of the land you have permission to shoot on is a criminal offence. Falling shot from a shotgun is not mentioned in the law. So you could stand on your boundary and shoot birds on your neighbours as long as your using a shotgun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 So you could stand on your boundary and shoot birds on your neighbours as long as your using a shotgun? That's hardly the same, is it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaunda Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Stick to the topic of shooting near solar panels;,there are reams on this forum about boundary shooting q.v. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 So you could stand on your boundary and shoot birds on your neighbours as long as your using a shotgun? No that would be trespass and interference with goods,the birds are on the neighbours land therefore they belong to him,you could be sued in the civil courts Stick to the topic of shooting near solar panels;,there are reams on this forum about boundary shooting q.v. The same would apply to the solar panels if you knew they were there and did not take reasonable steps to stop your shot or round entering the land the panels were on,it would be trespass and interference to goods,but the case law i cited shows that if you had been reasonable and something out of the ordinary happened like a ricochet or a huge gust of wind carrying your shot a lot further than would be reasonably expected you could not be held liable. That is my take and i am sure that some of the lawyers on here will tell you if i am wrong,but tort and trespass are complicated subjects,and sifting through case laws to find things applicable to your situation is hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 So you could stand on your boundary and shoot birds on your neighbours as long as your using a shotgun? This would be a criminal offence, since poaching is a criminal offence and one would expect you shot the game for personal benefit - I suspect there would also be a case for Civil Damages. More logical to drive the birds (covertly) onto your land and shoot them there. Alternatively do as many do and place feeders on your boundary - no comeback there. Sticking to the thread though, for me its a moot point - which came first guns or solar panels? For a while at least guns over solar panels will perhaps prevail. Until some fat lawyers (not you Mungler - excuse the point for dramatic emphasis) earns a crust from the test case which establishes substantial damages to solar arrays and BASC et al withdraw shooting insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted January 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) Lads this has strayed to far off topic. If I get asked to shoot on a farm that has panels already and it's a mile to the nearest farm am I ok??? I know common sense is the normal but I'm just checking the laws /legality Edited January 26, 2015 by team tractor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorismyhero Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) gor blimey..... what a load of old ************** IF you want you could stand right next to em and shoot.....away/parallel to em..... ask your self this there you are ...on your perm and a "neighbours house" is just over the hedge....can you shoot....YES...Just dont shoot TOWARDS his property...... does the neighbour have any recourse...unlikely...even the laws of "nuisence" are unlikely to help him unless you shoot for prolonged periods ...every day.... simples.... "solar panels are NOT a protected species" Edited January 26, 2015 by victorismyhero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 Lads this has strayed to far off topic. If I get asked to shoot on a farm that has panels already and it's a mile to the nearest farm am I ok??? I know common sense is the normal but I'm just checking the laws /legality Yes you can shoot there as with any other land it's no different, there is no law say: "You must not shoot near solar panels" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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