Land used for Hunting - Find a freedom of information request

Request

Could you please provide any information and policies regarding use of LCC Land that is owned, leased, tenanted, and maintained and or Public Open Spaces these are examples not an exclusive list:

 

1.Do ANY Hunting Related or Shooting related Companies, Clubs, Tenants or Organisations have access either by agreement, historical rights or by payment of any fee, to any LCC land that is owned, leased, maintained, tenanted by LCC or Public Open Spaces. These could be fox hunting, deer hunting or shooting related companies (not an exclusive lists), private organisations, individuals or tenants who allow access for which you may also be landlord.

 

2. Could you please confirm the areas where such events can be staged, this could be trail hunting, dog exercise or similar of any organisation identified in question 1. These are examples not an exclusive list. ANY USE OF LAND TO BE IDENTIFIED PLEASE.

 

3.If ANY LCC land is provided for ANY trail, drag, shooting clubs, organisations or tenants either owned, maintained, leased or tenanted can you please provide the policy & documentation regarding that use to ensure LCC are not allowing any illegal activity to proceed.

Decision

We are not aware of any such activity being licensed or given explicit permission across land managed by the Countryside Service. Nor are we aware of any rights to do so (under exercise or not) for land managed by Countryside Services.

Land allocated as Open Access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (the so called "right to roam" land) maybe subject to such permissions or rights but that is not an element LCC manage and would be for the occupier/owner of the land to determine.

Reference number
FOI1109
Date request received
18 January 2020
Date of decision
28 January 2020