Land clearance for FAC

[Bumble]

I’m a bit confused after reading conflicting advice elsewhere, and not really getting a helpful answer from the firearms team when I rang them. 

I’ve been asked by a friend to help out with foxing on his ground, as he’s only got an SGC. The land has previously been shot over before with centrefire, so obviously has been cleared previously by the police. 

Do the conditions on my certificate mean I have to send in my ticket to the police, along with all land details, so they can ‘add it on’ to my ticket (not sure what they are adding it onto, as there’s no land actually named on there now!), or can I just crack on if I know the land has already been cleared? 

Cheers. 

[Zetter]

You need to contact your local firearms office give them the post code for the land and check whats its cleared for. You are on a closed ticket so the ground needs to be cleared for .243 or greater by the police before you can use your .243 on it. If it isn't cleared you will need the FEO for that area to clear it for .243. 

Just because someone has used centrefire on it before doesn't always follow that its cleared as they could have been on open certificate and can make their own judgement on the suitability of the land for the calibre they are planning to use. 

I had this on one of my permissions when I wanted to shoot it I checked with the local firearms office expecting it to be cleared as it was being stalked over regularly for deer (I do the vermin) as it turned out it wasn't even cleared for .22lr and I had to get it cleared by the local FEO as im on closed ticket. 

If you were on open certificate you would be missing the deemed suitable by the Chief of Police for the area bit. 

Edited August 18, 2018 by Zetter

[Bumble]

Thanks for clarifying that. Is it as simple as phoning up with the postcode & checking then? I’m not keen on posting my ticket into them as they’ve not got the quickest turnaround time. 

[toontastic]

With Northumbria police I used to just email over the details and usually got a reply within a few hours.

[Zetter]

Just ring up ask them to check the land clearance. They may want a couple of details off you such as your address to check you are an FAC holder but they should be able to check from the post code or as Toontastic say just E-Mail them

[Bumble]

Cheers gents, have emailed them to see. I’ve not had to add land on before & the guidance is about as clear as mud on their website! 

[Digger79]

I found sending an Email with photo of signed permission slip, name of farm and postcode, always get reply same day.you can also ask on email if land not cleared when can they do one

[Muddy Funker]

Where does it say you have to send in your ticket, that doesn't sound right at all and should be challenged.

You have a licence so the original piece of land is on file, there's your good reason.

Any additional land has to either be on their database which it sounds like it will be, or risk assessed to clear it for your calibre. All you then need is permission which you have.

Unless something has changed nothing needs adding to your licence, I wouldn't send it in. A phonecall should clarify if it's cleared or not.

Edited August 18, 2018 by Muddy Funker

[Good shot?]

I am on  Merseyside I have simply emailed  the relevant area in which the land is situated, if not Merseyside, (giving the address and postcode) asking up to what calibre the land has been past for if at all and I have had a response same day. 

No need for anything else like permission slip or Licence.

[walshie]

If the land is cleared, you're good to go as long as you have permission. You don;t have to have land "added". I have no idea why your ticket is worded like that. You have AOLQ on there, so no need to say you can't shoot illegal quarry. 

[Bumble]

25 minutes ago, Muddy Funker said:

Where does it say you have to send in your ticket, that doesn't sound right at all and should be challenged.

You have a licence so the original piece of land is on file, there's your good reason.

Any additional land has to either be on their database which it sounds like it will be, or risk assessed to clear it for your calibre. All you then need is permission which you have.

Unless something has changed nothing needs adding to your licence, I wouldn't send it in. A phonecall should clarify if it's cleared or not.

That’s what I thought when the chap in the firearms dept told me I needed to, but he put the phone down pretty swift before I could ask any more about it. 

Hopefully they’ll pick up the email on Monday & sort it out as they’ve got birds to wood now (bodge-job farmer shoot) and the charlies need dealing with ASAP. 

[Muddy Funker]

I'm sure you'll be fine, just sounds like another clueless idiot in a licencing dept.

 

[oowee]

If its not cleared they will ask for a 686 form signed by the land owner giving you authority prior to then doing a land check.

Personally I used to always call for clearance rather than send an e mail. Simply the record system that they have is not as good as maybe you expect it to be. I have had farms down as different names and owners being the fathers of the actual farmer that i dealt with. It was often easier to sort these things on the phone rather than get an unwarranted rejection. 

[blackbird]

This is your perfect time to ask for a open certificate.

Edited August 19, 2018 by blackbird

[Dekers]

On ‎18‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 15:16, Bumble said:

I’m a bit confused after reading conflicting advice elsewhere, and not really getting a helpful answer from the firearms team when I rang them. 

I’ve been asked by a friend to help out with foxing on his ground, as he’s only got an SGC. The land has previously been shot over before with centrefire, so obviously has been cleared previously by the police. 

Do the conditions on my certificate mean I have to send in my ticket to the police, along with all land details, so they can ‘add it on’ to my ticket (not sure what they are adding it onto, as there’s no land actually named on there now!), or can I just crack on if I know the land has already been cleared? 

Cheers. 

WRONG..the land could have been shot by an OPEN FAC holder, it could have been cleared for a Hornet or your information could be wrong.

 Check before you do anything!

[Bumble]

On 19/08/2018 at 09:15, blackbird said:

This is your perfect time to ask for a open certificate.

I rang them up as had no reply to my email & I’m keen to get out tonight. 

Land cleared for .243, which is tidy, and it looks like they’ll be opening up my ticket if I send a request letter in due to the amount of landowners surrounding the new place who either lease to them or want us on to shoot.  Happy days!