Unbelievable "discrimination".

[Pastmember01]

It may be a bit late if you have already sent your email but take a deep breath. They might not want anyone there but can't police the beach all of the time. Besides, it appears there are some "rights" that they would need to deal with. Gentle education should get you what you want. In the meantime, have a look at the link. It's 2011 so may have changed but may add some weight to your argument. However, it does appear that the landowner may need to go through a process and that requires effort. You could volunteer to take on that effort for them. Good luck.

PS. no idea who Mr. Stokes is - not me - just a Google search.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... sponse.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[liamnolan]

Thanks, I am sure that document will be quoted a LOT of times in the future.
I had a similar adventure with HLS schemes a few years ago and expected banning of metal detecting, judging from the negative posts on here. However when I took the time to go through the HLS paperwork on one large estate and then contacted them directly afterwards they said that they did not ban detecting, just reinforced the need for detecting to keep to its lawful boundaries, no scheduled sites, protected areas and so on. I think many landowners get confused with the conditions of stewardship and just decide that its easier to not have us on their land, Liam

[sweepstick47]

So very true Liam! - Regards ss47

[Pifukas]

Thanks, I am sure that document will be quoted a LOT of times in the future.
I had a similar adventure with HLS schemes a few years ago and expected banning of metal detecting, judging from the negative posts on here. However when I took the time to go through the HLS paperwork on one large estate and then contacted them directly afterwards they said that they did not ban detecting, just reinforced the need for detecting to keep to its lawful boundaries, no scheduled sites, protected areas and so on. I think many landowners get confused with the conditions of stewardship and just decide that its easier to not have us on their land, Liam

There's been some changes on HLS scheme this year. Not all fields are forbidden as it was before, just Scheduled Monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and known archaeological sites on Agreement Land! It was TOTAL ban before!!!
6.17 Metal Detecting: requirements
Metal detecting is not allowed on Scheduled Monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
and known archaeological sites on Agreement Land. These are identified on the Farm Environment Record (FER), and the HEFER. Natural England will advise Agreement Holders in writing of any new sites that are discovered that will also be covered by these terms.
On all other Agreement Land, Agreement Holders must ensure that metal detecting does not
conflict with the requirements of their agreement, in particular where proposed metal detecting
may affect their ability to meet option prescriptions. For example, options supporting groundnesting birds, priority habitats, or rare arable plants are incompatible with ground disturbance, and such activities may cause a breach of agreement and result in withholding of payments, reclaims or penalties (see section 7.3). Any metal detecting that Agreement Holders allow on Agreement Land should be undertaken in accordance with best practice laid down in the current Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales at: https://finds.org.uk/getinvolved/guides/codeofpractice" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, and
all finds must be reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
P.S: Taken from:
Countryside Stewardship
Higher Tier Manual
Applies to all Higher Tier multi-year agreements commencing
on 1 January 2017

[Pastmember01]

Pifukas helps to illustrate that landowners have requirements and responsibilities and sometimes you need to look at it from their point of view.
By way of some examples there's a private beach in Dorset where I used to fossil hunt as a kid. Fossil hunting is now prohibited. The cliffs are known to be unstable and the owner's insurance means that they have to prohibit searching for fossils - it's not acceptable to say "at your own risk" or for you to say you have insurance to cover your actions.
Near to me (Surrey) a new estate owner put in two permissive foot paths. They didn't have to but thought it would help local folk and give more access to an archeological site and to a local winter sledging hill. So top marks to the owner. Some idiot fell over a drainage pipe and took the owner to court - footpaths were closed for ages.
And last, one of the pasture fields I detect can't be cut at certain times due to ground nesting birds. The owner cuts a large square (has done for years) for local village events car parking - they lose their subsidy for that area.

Sometimes it looks like owners are being difficult. Sometimes they might not know. For many owners having someone tramping across their land is just something else to worry about. But thinking and looking at it from their point of view is always a good starting point to getting new permissions.

[jcmaloney]

Just to clarify that detecting has never been banned under any Stewardship schemes.
It has always been prohibited on Scheduled Ancient Monuments & known archaeological features identified on the Farm Environment Record.
Even SSSI`s (depending on their nature & the impact of digging) can be detected with a derogation/approval from NE.

I`m sure Geoman will confirm as above.

There is a further debate about findspots creating a "known feature" and thus precluding the very method that found it in the first place...however thats another kettle of fish!!

[liamnolan]

Good to see a pragmatic approach as we are all stakeholders in looking after the land and what goes on there. Too easy to get rattled when we see that we cannot get onto a field because its now out of bounds for some obscure reason but there is usually a sensible reason. Metal detecting is an enjoyable hobby but we are still intrusive to some degree. Nesting birds and protected wildlife need to be left alone and the landowner may need to change how he manages the land, so keep in touch with him and then you will have a better idea of whats actually happening and not just assume that you are being unfairly treated.
Getting back to the original topic, OA has raised some concerns about that app and its good that its being debated so that later on down the road we can gain a better view of whether it is of any practical use, Lam