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Letter by email: Mr Arik Dondi 11 July 2016

External Relations Director, RPA

Dear Mr Dondi

BPS Payment on Common Land

I am writing to express concern over the lack of information provided to claimants of BPS on common land. Claims for BPS on common land are complex and often, as is the case on Dartmoor, involve a farmer claiming on more than one common. The information given currently fails to provide the confidence that the total claim is correct.

This issue was discussed at the recent National Common Land Stakeholders Group meeting at which Simon Lunniss represented the RPA. Simon provided a useful explanation of the process, but the Council remains concerned that this is such an important issue for both the RPA and commoners, that a clear way forward needs to be confirmed. A lack of clarity on the number of common rights and to which common these rights are allocated results in suspicion and doubt that the allocation is correct. A clear audit trail would give confidence that the claim is correct and can be used in subsequent years and, if a mistake is found, can be corrected before it is compounded in the future.

I understand that each claimant first receives a remittance advice statement that, this year, states the bridging credit and the total BPS claim. This is followed by a claim statement. However some commoners on Dartmoor still wait for this claim statement almost one month after receiving the remittance advice. The claim statement however will only identify how much is paid for entitlements above and below the Moorland Line and on common land. It will not differentiate payment on different commons. This lack of information will prevent the claimant from understanding how the figures were arrived at and from having confidence that the figures are correct. Which, in turn, is likely to lead to an increase in the number of claimants questioning their claim with the RPA.

The Council would wish to see the audit sheets, available previously under the SPS regime, to again be provided to all claimants of BPS on common land. I think providing this information will reduce the number of contentious claims that will be raised with the RPA.

I hope you will give this due consideration. We will be raising this issue with Mr Grimshaw at our meeting on the 19th August.

I look forward to your assurances on this matter.

Yours sincerely

Mr John Waldon, Chairman, Dartmoor Commoners’ Council