BPS Updates February 25, 2015 12:00 am Guidance RPA has published the final guidance handbook for the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme. This booklet incorporates and, in some cases, updates all the information which was sent out in the five leaflets during 2014. The RPA will be sending out hard copies to all claimants this year, but this will be the last time. In future years, the guidance will only be available on GOV.UK. Copies can be downloaded from the GOV.UK website at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/406452/BPS_Handbook_-_final_v1.0.pdf The list below highlights a couple of changes and some points which readers may not have been aware of: There has been a change to the eligibility of trees. The new definition means land with trees on it is eligible so long as the trees; are scattered within the parcel. allow agricultural activity to be carried out as if the trees weren’t there. In such cases it is not necessary to deduct the area taken up by the trunk or the canopy. But land is not eligible if the vegetation under the canopy is not able to grow. The management of EFA fallow land during the EFA period has changed so that grass can only be sown during this period (1st January to 30th June), if it can be demonstrated that this is for reasons other than agricultural production, such as where it is sown under an agri-environment scheme. It should be possible to transfer entitlements at any time once the ‘functionality’ is made available (see new features below). Transfers by sale or lease should take around 24 hours, however transfers through inheritance or sublease will take longer. Both the transferee and the transferor will need to be registered on the Rural Payments system, but only the person receiving the entitlements must be an ‘active farmer’. If they need to send evidence in under the ‘active farmer’ readmission criteria they are not registered as an active farmer until the RPA has received this information and cannot have entitlements transferred to them. Under EFA rules, if a farmer has a field with EFA fallow, nitrogen-fixing crops or catch/cover crops in it and a hedge around it which he is also using towards his EFA requirements and it is adjacent to the EFA fallow, nitrogen-fixing crops or catch/cover crops, the area of the hedge must be taken off the EFA fallow, nitrogen-fixing crop or catch/cover crop area. It must be reduced by 2.5 square metres for each metre length of EFA hedge in the parcel. The area does not need to be reduced if the land is being used for crop diversification. In addition to the 2015 Scheme Handbook the RPA has also released the accountant’s certificate to confirm ‘Active Farmer’ status together with guidance notes for those who may need readmitting via the income tests: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accountants-certificate-to-qualify-as-an-active-farmer-for-the-basic-payment-scheme A list of Winter varieties of Brassica crops has also been published. All others, by default, will count as Spring varieties: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/406429/Winter_Brassica_Varieties_v1.0.pdf NewFeatures The Rural Payments online service is expected to be unavailable from 9am Thursday 26th February until Monday 2nd March. The downtime will be used to add new features and to improve some of the functionality already available. From next week the following should be available: Entitlement transfer – it will be possible to transfer out entitlements, the SBI number of the person receiving them will be required. It may not be quite as ‘slick’ as it is expected to be yet as RPA staff still need to check and ‘transfer-in’ the entitlements at present. Merge and split fields – this should be instant. Boundary Changes – It should be possible to make alterations to boundaries, there will be a narrative box to give further information so the RPA can accurately digitise the new boundary. Buffer strips/margins – It has been difficult to mark these on. From next week there should be a linear feature similar to a hedge and then it will be possible for the length and width to be entered in to a narrative box and the digitiser will draw the feature on accurately. There has been confusion with areas being to four decimal places. In most cases, after the update these should be two decimal places. It should be possible to drop a ‘pin’ on a pond or building, especially using the ‘aerial photography’ view and then give further information i.e. measurements. The new functions and the improvements to the old ones will hopefully help those having to work on the system. But, with the way the service is being developed overtime there is a real dilemma on whether to wait until the system is running better or continue to plug away. There is no doubt that many will have wasted time over the last couple of weeks whilst the system has been slow and crashing, but the more you get on to the service the more you realise just how much there is to do this year. On the bright side it should be easier next year!
