The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

I've just managed to land a few hundred acres of rabbit shooting
On my FAC I've just got target shooting at my local club so how does one go about adding the land to the FAC?
Do I just call plod with the relevent land owner details or is there a form to fill in?

Lincolnshire have what is called a nominated land/club form that I have used for shooting overland. The land must be cleared for shooting over unless they know it already.

The land is already known by plod and passed for calibres up to .243 so will it just be a case of a phone call? I presume the FAC will have to be sent in to have the land put on it?
I cant seem to find an online form that will do the trick but have to admit it was just a quick look so far.

Gazza wrote:The land is already known by plod and passed for calibres up to .243 so will it just be a case of a phone call? I presume the FAC will have to be sent in to have the land put on it?
I cant seem to find an online form that will do the trick but have to admit it was just a quick look so far.

You could drop their firearms dept. a line via email.
If such a form exists they could attach it to their reply.

firelic@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you are not increasing the number of firearms you have, I don't believe there is any form you have to complete, just write a letter to your FLD asking to include vermin control on your FAC, specifying which of your existing firearms you want to use. They should grant you an open or semi-open license. Alternatively if you want to buy yourself a new bunny-basher in .22 or .17 you need to complete the 201V form (Application to vary an FAC)

However I think that different Firearms Departments apply different rules to granting this kind of FAC condition: some might want you to complete the normal application form. I'm sure you will need to include a letter from the land-owner or the owner of the sporting rights giving you permission to shoot over the land. You will need to get a 'fresh' letter every time you renew your license.

However having permission to shoot over the land is just one aspect.

You might also want to show the Police that you are competent to shoot outside the confines of a range and won't be spraying bullets all over the countryside. This could be in the form of any training you've done (like a DSC or going out with an experienced hunter) or experience (xx years as a FAC holder, xx years hunting with an air-rifle). In Surrey they like to add mentoring conditions when they first include hunting conditions on a license and will only grant a fully open license after the first or second renewal.

Hope this helps you.

Triffid

Triffid wrote:If you are not increasing the number of firearms you have, I don't believe there is any form you have to complete, just write a letter to your FLD asking to include vermin control on your FAC, specifying which of your existing firearms you want to use. They should grant you an open or semi-open license. Alternatively if you want to buy yourself a new bunny-basher in .22 or .17 you need to complete the 201V form (Application to vary an FAC)

However I think that different Firearms Departments apply different rules to granting this kind of FAC condition: some might want you to complete the normal application form. I'm sure you will need to include a letter from the land-owner or the owner of the sporting rights giving you permission to shoot over the land. You will need to get a 'fresh' letter every time you renew your license.

However having permission to shoot over the land is just one aspect.

You might also want to show the Police that you are competent to shoot outside the confines of a range and won't be spraying bullets all over the countryside. This could be in the form of any training you've done (like a DSC or going out with an experienced hunter) or experience (xx years as a FAC holder, xx years hunting with an air-rifle). In Surrey they like to add mentoring conditions when they first include hunting conditions on a license and will only grant a fully open license after the first or second renewal.

Hope this helps you.

Triffid

this is always where the various FLDs make life difficult for themselves and everyone else, I thought mentoring conditions had disappeared? TVP on my experience have not paid credence to DSC1 anytime I have mentioned it, they also would only open my ticket on a nominal point (3 years) rather than due to experience and good need ( letter from stalking guide stating an open FAC was required to shoot some of the land he used) this was 3 months before the 3 years were up !
I would attach a copy of the permission and write to the FLD asking for your FAC to be amended to show vermin and ground game or AOLQ which I believe is the current advise from the HO

I tried calling West Yorks Licencing just now to get a definitive answer to this and got through to a recorded message saying that phone calls are only being accepted 3 days a week and today is not one of them

http://www.gmp.police.uk/content/WebAtt ... nd%201.pdf

This is from the GMP website, but I have seen exactly the same for west mids, and presumably west yorks.

Gazza wrote:I tried calling West Yorks Licencing just now to get a definitive answer to this and got through to a recorded message saying that phone calls are only being accepted 3 days a week and today is not one of them

Yup - pain in the arse aren't they. THe performance of west yorks is garbage - one of 5 forces that couldn't be bothered to answer BASC on times for renewal / variation / grant etc that or they just don't know......or care.

I had a variation done a few years ago - 4 weeks, got one in now 5 weeks and counting. I've complained to my MP, the PCC (ex copper so I 'm p*** in the wind) they state that variations take the same effort as grants - oh really, so why are grants quoted as 24 weeks and variations as 8.....equally isn't a variation solely about good reason to possess as the applianct already has an FAC?

I suspect this is becuase the FLO manager sits on FELWG and is privvy to conversations we aren't - for eg - anybody noticed how the minutes of said group are now fewer and less frequent to be found......

Anyhoo - on topic - you're asking to vary a ticket one way or another. If it's to use a firearm you already own - you're varying a condition (from good reason to possess being target shooting to hopefully "any lawful quarry" but not adding a slot - so the cost should be free. If you want a new gun then clearly it's a new slot and then chargeable.

Go have a look at Firearms guidnace to the police - read up on the approved wording for conditions and make sure that West Yorkshire don't shaft you with something they shouldn't:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... 16_v20.pdf

Look at pages 233 onwards in Appendix 3 "Appendix 3: Conditions for firearm certificates" and page 76 section 10.48 has this to say:

"Firearms should be conditioned to provide flexibility with quarry shooting by allowing all lawful quarry (see Appendix 3)."

Thanks for the replies chaps

I'll call plod tomorrow and see what is what.

I downloaded the variation form for West Yorks and although there is a part to fill in the land owner details it would make no sense (to me anyway) as its a firearm variation form and the section for the land owner details is the "reason for aquiring" if that makes sense.
As I dont want a firearm variation only a variation of use this does not seem like the correct form to use.
Anyway tomorrow will hopefully shine some light on what route to take.