New Forestry Commission Agreement

[greywolf]

The BOF website has an announcement of a new Forestry Commission agreement for 2011 (only two-thirds of the way through the year )

No doubt the schedule of charges will provoke some debate

I guess it would have been too much to ask for someone at BOF to clarify whether this agreement applies to ~ 25% or ~ 37 % of FC land....

[Mrs H]

an evening out of charges within categories to establish more equitable charges

Okay I know I'm being thick but could someone explain to me what that means?

edit Ha ha - think I get it - I guess BOF's idea of an evening out is not the same as mine!

(I'm gonna laugh about that all day)

[King Penguin]

Is this another change or a confirmation of what had already been indicated ?
The structure looks unchanged but I cannot remember all the rates from previous documents.

[AndyC]

I don't remember either but it still has the problem of the "marginal cost" competitor where (worst case but principle applies down the scale) the thousandth Level A competitor costs £800

[Oldman]

I think the wrong agreement was posted initially - it now says "2012".

[Scott]

Yes, the version that is online now says 2012, and is the version that was circulated to the Board. If you are still seeing the 2011 version you may need to refresh. I guess an old version was initially posted by mistake - but it was fixed pretty quickly!

As KP says, the 2012 agreement is just continuing the charges at the 2011 rate while we continue to work on negotiating a new deal: understandably, the FC have been rather busy with other issues in recent months.

[Clive Coles]

Yep ~ there was a glitch with the original posting earlier today. National Office and myself exchanged some emails just before lunchtime ! It has now been rectified.

The good news for now is that the new agreement that was announced 23rd December last year is being allowed to roll forward into 2012. We can now therefore start to confirm event entry fees on FC land for next year.

[frog]

Does it cover Scotland as well? There is nothing to say it doesn't but I thought previously Scotland had a separate agreement? They talk about it being an agreement with "British" orienteering clubs and as TAY chair I've just been sent a (nonworking) link to it by BOF, but it's signed by a forestry England bloke and talks about a "national" agreement which could mean anything.
Presume this was what Greywolf was obliquely referring to.

[greywolf]

certain it doesn't cover FC Scotland (660k ha), presume it covers FC England (256k ha), not sure if it applies to FC Wales (124k ha)

[Scott]

As far as I'm aware: no, it does not cover Scotland. You have a right to orienteer in Scotland under the Land Reform Act, and the Forestry Commission cannot charge for access to land in Scotland for orienteering purposes (although they can still charge for car parking, use of their toilets etc). Possibly someone with a better knowledge of the Scottish situation than me [Edit: eg. greywolf] will be able to clarify this with more certainty.

I am unsure whether the new agreement applies in Wales, but I have asked for clarification.

[frog]

It does annoy me that someone in BOF send me this knowing I'm chair of a Scottish club without pointing out that it doesn't cover Scotland and the bit about "British" orienteering clubs is just sloppy wording. I also think BOF should have clarified on its website which countries the agreement applied to.
Then BOF wonder why the Scots get stroppy.

[Oldman]

I'm chair of a Scottish club.

Surprising then that you didn't already know it doesn't apply in Scotland (as Scott points out).

[Freefall]

The situation in Scotland is perhaps more complex than you think and I am actively involved with the Forestry Commission Scotland about our own "Agreement". What was tabled by the FCS earlier this year when I met was in lines with the English Agreement and I said this was not acceptable. There is a National Access Forum in Scotland - the guidelines in this are causing me cause for concern (for organised events over 25 people) and we may be escalating things to the highest power in the land given the chance (which is next week). I am talking with my SOA hat on on this occasion.

[Mrs H]

Now I'm surprised Oldman didn't know that

sounds like you're in for a good "evening out" Freefall - good luck.

[Big Jon]

In Scotland we can have access to any land (within reason). Orienteering is categorised as an activity that needs to obtain permission due to use of "markers" (or some such wording). I suggest we start arranging "line-O" events where there are no markers in the forest. No permission needed - same as all other users of FC land.
I will refuse to pay FC charges in Scotland and will lobby for my club to refuse and for SOA to refuse. If FCS want to make money they can charge everyone who uses their massively expensive facilities rather than penalising a tiny minority of users.