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anyone heard about this???

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beast5680:
just seen this on the lro forum

Please read the bellow.
I've not long got back from a meeting on this and i'm what you might call as being a little P ed off.
DEFRA has now put through with out telling anyone a bill that will stop all forms of motorsport on farmland.
Already clubs up and down the country are canceling events as they've lost their trial sites. We've just losted two sites our selves as a club.
Things like the Nationals and the Majors may well be scrapped.

IS THIS THE WRITING ON THE WALL FOR THE FUTURE OF MOTOR SPORT?

At the end of March 2005 defra issued the following guidance to farmers
which amounts to the greatest challenge that motor sport has had to face. Because of its devastating effect on our chosen recreation every participant must be prepared to contribute towards the cost of legal action in the interest of safeguarding our sport.

“Single Payment Scheme and non-agricultural use.
EU Council Regulation 1782/03 which introduces the new Single Payment Scheme [SPS] specifies that land eligible for the scheme must be an ‘eligible hectare’ which excludes land that is used for non-agricultural purposes”.

The guidance lists non-agricultural uses which impede or are inconsistent with normal farming activities. One of the few activities listed as being inconsistent with land being considered as remaining in agricultural use is motor sport.
This is obviously extremely bad news for competitive club events that are held under the so-called 14/28 day rule contained in the General Permitted Development Order [GPDO] 1995.

The Land Access and Recreation Association [LARA] of which the ARC is a full member has sought counsel’s legal opinion regarding this guidance. Counsel’s view is that the government is wrong in making the statement that motor sport is inconsistent with land remaining in agricultural use. It seems that defra has not looked properly at what amounts to ‘agricultural activity’ and Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition [GAEC].

Counsel’s opinion is being sent to defra and to the Treasurer Solicitor. This may possibly be sufficient for defra to reconsider its guidance. If not, the next step would be for LARA to request counsel to draft a pre-action protocol letter and outline grounds for a judicial review in the high court. A pre-action protocol letter precedes the commencement of court action by seven days.

ARC Council is fully aware that clubs are currently suffering cancellations of planned events due to the SPS but unfortunately this is unavoidable until the situation is resolved as farmers are naturally concerned that they may lose out under the new payments scheme. In support of LARA’s endeavour in mounting a legal challenge to defra over the SPS, the ARC Council is considering making a substantial donation towards the cost which could amount to many thousands of pounds. It has been suggested that individual club members should also put their hands in their pockets and contribute towards legal costs - say £10 [the equivalent of about two gallons of fuel!].

This situation is unique - please ensure that as many club members as possible are made aware of this massive and sudden attack on our sport.

Clubs may wish to suggest to land owners that they should write to their local NFU office making the point that current defra guidance that motor sport is not consistent with land being considered as remaining in agricultural use is resulting in their having to tell clubs that events cannot be held on their land. This obviously means a reduction in farm diversification and resultant loss of potential income.


Tony Kempster
Countryside and Access Officer

muky-kid.:
:shock: This is the first ive heard of this and i hope it does not go through or L.A.R.A can resolve this issue with the help of the ARC.

QOUTE: It seems that defra has not looked properly at what amounts to ‘agricultural activity’ and Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition [GAEC].  :twisted:  :twisted: Sounds about right for them, when is this ever going to end. :evil:

Wanderer:
WOW!
Speechless.

This might have wider ranging effects. All caravan clubs operate with a DEFRA exemption certificate to allow them to use a farmers land with no planning permission. Will this also be caught up in the same conditions?

Ed

LOFTY:
Well, what do expect, the farmers get paid to do everything, from fencing to laying hedges, and best off all to over produce crops. Its not just fate that 1 year all fields are yellow with oil seed rape, thats beacause its got the highest subsidy on it, then when all fields suddenly grow maze, thats because thats highest.
Even Prince Charles estates make £100,000ss every year from subsidys, the big farmers are laughing, and on our tax.
The problem with racing is, some of the ground is set aside, ie: farmer doesnt grow a crop in some fields for a year, so the tax payer gives him money for not growing anything, so when the farmer get a wedge of cash for a sarfari around the boundry etc, hes getting paid twice.
A good friend of mine has 600 arces, and wont do anything on the estate, unless theres subsidy, set aside, or stewardship money involved.
And before anybody says i dont know what i am talking about, i have been in and around farming all my life.
Sorry but the system sucks, and you say to any farmer about imported food being cheaper, and he will go on about the cost of everything in this country makes his produce dearer, and the imports should be blocked.
Then he will say, you dont know what you are talking about, and get into his jap pickup, M class Merc, or John Deere tractor, shouting buy BRITISH.
Hell, i needed to get that of my chest. :evil:

Wanderer:
I doubt anyone will disagree with you there but it's us that will lose in the end. What we pay can't be anywhere near the subsidies.

:(

Ed

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