artiglio wrote:
There is without doubt the need for facilities through out the rest of the country and from people i’ve spoken to there are past and on going efforts to achieve this, but land is incredibly expensive and the general mood is pretty anti shooting and these points have made aquisition and provision of new facilities very difficult.
I suspect the only chance of finding new ranges is to take over redundant army ranges, if and when they become available.
And that will only happen if any future purchase or project looks commercially viable to the NRA.
Only problem there is the land is worth more to a developer. And the developer will convince the local planning office easier than any shooting organisation will.
NRA members and visitors to Bisley may be aware of recent claims made by Bisley Shooting Ground Limited (BSG) with regards to their recently expired lease of Council Club and licence of Cottesloe Heath. These claims are made in support of their pleas for financial donations to fund their legal action against the NRA.
To provide clarification
(1) Bisley Shooting Ground Limited (BSG) is a private company that trades for the benefit of its shareholders and directors. The two directors, Anthony and Alexander Roupell, own over 94% of the entire equity of the company.
(2) BSG’s most recently filed accounts report current assets (including cash) of £587,014; and indicate annual profits, after remuneration of directors, in excess of £300,000.
(3) In 2018 BSG were offered the opportunity to make a formal, unconditional, offer for the clay shooting business at Bisley, but declined to do so.
(4) The NRA formally notified BSG in July 2018 that the lease for Council Club and licence for Cottesloe Heath and Long Siberia ranges would not be renewed
(5) The lease of Council Club and license for Cottesloe Heath and Long Siberia ranges both expired on 30th June 2019. BSG as tenant / licensee has failed to yield possession to the NRA
(6) The NRA, through its wholly owned subsidiary, have successfully operated the National Clay Shooting Centre for many years
BSG has instigated legal action claiming an entitlement for new leases for both Council Club and the two ranges. BSG acceded to NRA demands that the dispute be resolved at Court at the earliest opportunity.
The actions of the NRA have solely been aimed at holding BSG as tenant to obligations they undertook when signing the lease and licence. To expect a tenant to honour their commitments is not bullying – it is professional property management that is expected of charity Trustees.
And what of the situation with the British Sporting Rifle Club?
My understanding is that they are in a similar situation, where the NRA avoided discussing renewal of their lease until the 11th hour and then announced that they would not be renewing the lease. That club also took an almost derelict facility and developed it into the finest sporting rifle range facility in the country at their own expense and tremendous volunteer effort, only for the NRA to now decide to snatch it back and take it under their direct control. No doubt if the NRA get their way the cost of using these ranges will rise considerably.
I fear that the outcome will not be good for that club and that as a result Bisley will loose a fine sporting rifle facility.
David TS wrote:Interesting eh Christel, two sides to every story! I have no dog in this fight, I just came across BSG's response on Facebook by chance.
Thanks for posting the link David.
BSG's reply is quite detailed and indeed, well-written, the content of which blows a lot of holes through Mr Mercer's statement on this issue. Like yourself, I have no dog in this particular fight but if a half of what BSG is stating is true, it seems that the NRA need to be providing some serious answers to these questions.
LL