Grants paid for footprint of pheasant pens in woodland and/or farmland

The request was partially successful.

Garin P Linnington

Dear Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,

I believe that permanent pheasant pens, either for breeding or release, in place for more than 28 days in woodland or farmland, require planning consent from the local planning authority. I understand that DEFRA and DEFRA bodies, pay grants, that may cover the foot print of pheasant pens.

If my contentions are correct, then DEFRA and its arm length bodies should be following the law.

My questions are:

1. Is planning consent required for pheasant pens, where the footprint is covered by DEFRA/RPA grants?
2. Does DEFRA or any of its arm length bodies pay grants, occupying the footprint of pheasant pens, that would require planning consent?
3. Does DEFRA or any of its arm length bodies, require evidence of planning consent approval for pheasant pens?

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Garin P Linnington

Helpline, Defra (MCU), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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Information Rights Team,

8 January 2018
Ref: RFI 4682
Dear Garin Linnington
Re: Environmental Information Regulations – Acknowledgement
 
Thank you for your request for information dated 1 January 2018, which
is being dealt with under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
(EIR).
 
We normally expect to respond to requests within 20 working days.
 
If you have any queries about this let us know.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Information Rights Team
Rural Payments Agency | North Gate House | Reading | RG1 1AF
Tel: 03300 416502 | Fax: 03300 416574 | Email: [1][email address]
Follow us on Twitter @Ruralpay
 
For information on how we handle personal data view our [2]Personal
Information Charter at Gov.UK/Rural Payments Agency
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Information Rights Team,

23 January 2018
Ref: RFI 4682
 
Dear Mr Linnington
 
Re: Environmental Information Regulations – Information Request
 
Thank you for your request for information dated 8 January 2018, which has
been dealt with under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
(EIR).
 
You have asked the following questions relating to Grants paid for
footprint of pheasant pens in woodland and/or farmland.
 
We have set out below our responses to each of the questions asked:
 

 1. Is planning consent required for pheasant pens, where the footprint is
covered by DEFRA/RPA grants?

 
The RPA does not determine whether planning permission is required as that
is the responsibility of the Local Planning Authority.
 
Applicants are required to ensure that their project conforms to all
relevant legislation. It is also the applicant’s responsibility to ensure
that they follow planning regulations and the applicant is required as
part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) grant
application process to seek appropriate guidance from their planning
authority and follow that advice.
 

 2. Does DEFRA or any of its arm length bodies pay grants, occupying the
footprint of pheasant pens that would require planning consent?

 
No current projects have been awarded funding under the Socio-Economic
Schemes of RDPE for this reason. However there are RDPE applications that
have been received and are being processed and in these cases the
statement our response to question one above applies.
 

 3. Does DEFRA or any of its arm length bodies, require evidence of
planning consent approval for pheasant pens?

 
If planning consent is required for anything on which a RDPE grant is
sought, then planning consent would need to be in place before the
application for funding could be considered and a copy of the planning
consent would be required as supporting information for the application.
.
If you are not happy with the way we have handled your request, you can
ask for an internal review. These requests should be submitted in writing
within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original
request and should be addressed to the Information Rights Team at the
Rural Payments Agency, North Gate House, 21-23 Valpy Street, Reading, RG1
1AF or alternatively email your request for a review to
[1][email address].
 
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. Please note that generally the Information Commissioner cannot
make a decision unless you have first exhausted RPA’s own complaints
procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
[2]Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Information Rights Team
Rural Payments Agency | North Gate House | Reading | RG1 1AF
Tel: 03300 416502 | Fax: 03300 416574 | Email: [3][email address]
Follow us on Twitter @Ruralpay
 
For information on how we handle personal data view our [4]Personal
Information Charter at Gov.UK/Rural Payments Agency
 
 
 
 
 

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References

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