HLS Payments and Lost Shooting

[pavman]

A local Wildfowl club I am a member of has, I believe lost at least 100 Acres due to the claim that shooting sports represent “ Disturbance†whilst ramblers and dog walkers do not, anyone have any news,

[Baldrick]

I believe you mentioned HLS a few weeks back, Pavman. That sounds like a raw deal to lose 100 acres, particularly if (hazarding a guess) you are referring to the land on the edges of the Ore.

 

Ultimately (although it depends on how the land is coded) HLS precludes anyone from doing anything on the subject land (probably grassland) that is not relevant to its intended use. HLS restrictions dictate that wildlife cannot be disturbed between 1 Oct and 31 March of any year, whether by walkers or any other 'recreational or non-essential activity'. Shooting over HLS land, unless the occupier has a derogation, is out of the question. So whilst you have lost the land, the dog walkers and ramblers may be equally at fault.

 

Whilst wheat prices are dropping by the day, the money received from HLS is not compensation for the long-term restrictions the 'Scheme places on maximising one's arable output. It is becoming a very unpopular scheme now - you may, in time, get the land back.

[pavman]

I believe you mentioned HLS a few weeks back, Pavman. That sounds like a raw deal to lose 100 acres, particularly if (hazarding a guess) you are referring to the land on the edges of the Ore.

 

Ultimately (although it depends on how the land is coded) HLS precludes anyone from doing anything on the subject land (probably grassland) that is not relevant to its intended use. HLS restrictions dictate that wildlife cannot be disturbed between 1 Oct and 31 March of any year, whether by walkers or any other 'recreational or non-essential activity'. Shooting over HLS land, unless the occupier has a derogation, is out of the question. So whilst you have lost the land, the dog walkers and ramblers may be equally at fault.

Whilst wheat prices are dropping by the day, the money received from HLS is not compensation for the long-term restrictions the 'Scheme places on maximising one's arable output. It is becoming a very unpopular scheme now - you may, in time, get the land back.

 

Please se below

 

General conditions on all HLS agreement land

 

7.3 Public rights of way and access

Requirements relating to public rights of way on your land are set out in section 5.3 of your ELS handbook or section 5.4 of your OELS handbook.

 

In addition, the following conditions also need to be observed:

 

You must fulfil your responsibilities relevant to any land on the holding classified as 'open access land' on a conclusive map published in accordance with Part 1 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

You must allow any existing informal public access on the holding to continue.

If your HLS agreement provides for payments for access, you must ensure that you have public liability insurance adequate for the type of access provided. You will be breaching your agreement if we find that:

there was already public access to the agreement land before your agreement was signed, and

we were not fully informed about this existing access.

 

I would welcome any news from BASC as to any progress or wins shooting may have had with there help

Edited August 15, 2008 by pavman

[Baldrick]

OK, Pavman, I think I see where you are coming from. It's the signed HLS agreement itself that gives the definitive rules, not the General Conditions. Each HLS agreement is unique.

[pavman]

OK, Pavman, I think I see where you are coming from. It's the signed HLS agreement itself that gives the definitive rules, not the General Conditions. Each HLS agreement is unique.

 

To be honest Balders I have little knowledge on the subject other that the fact its a powerful tool for the likes of the RSPB and others to lobby with and come up with traditional Wild Fowling and shooting areas as being excellent areas to apply HLS to stop it. Quite frankly any field sports enthusiast who is not interested in this subject is in danger of waking up one morning to discover the twitchers have been round to see the land owner and convinced him to try for HLS and turn the land over for bird watching! If the land returns far more money than he can receive from shooting in most cases it’s a no brainer for him. The lack of interest I have seen in general from PW members about this is very worrying! I would have thought this problem is also in other areas???

Edited August 15, 2008 by pavman

[Baldrick]

I too agree that HLS is a threat to fieldsports, however DEFRA's budget for offering new HLS agreements is a small amount. Very few farmers are currently interested in HLS (ELS has much more appeal, being less stringent and not requiring the occupier to allow 'advisory visits' by DEFRA monkeys). Five-year ELS agreements are nothing like the threat that 10-year HLS programmes are.

 

Whilst commodity prices remain relatively high, few occupiers will want to see their future yields restricted by the impositions of HLS.