The RPA’s shambolic handling of the Rural Land Registry map update has left thousands of farmers still with incorrect information. James Andrews listens to our barometer farmers’ mapping woes.

South

A straightforward SPS claim in 2009 gave our southern Barometer farmer Andy Barr, who farms at East Lenham in Kent, confidence that the Single Payment Scheme was improving.

But the mapping fiasco that followed has given him little confidence that 2010 will go so smoothly. “When we received the first set of Rural Land Registry (RLR) maps last year they were an incredible mess – we were told these had not been properly checked and a new set would be on their way.”

This was pre-harvest and after chasing twice the revised maps eventually arrived in mid-autumn, he says. “These were still wrong, so I sent back the corrections and received the amended maps a couple of weeks ago.”

The latest maps contain fewer errors, but there are still a parcel of a neighbour’s land, a handful of allotments and a small industrial area amalgamated into his fields. “I will have to send these amendments again on the RLE1 land change form,” he says.

He is yet to receive his 2010 SPS application form, but has been sent a letter explaining that there are errors in the forms he should have been sent.

South West

Peter Snell who farms at North Farm, Horton, Dorset, has only just resolved problems that started when he moved his driveway in 2006. “We moved the farm entrance and hence there was a change in neighbouring field sizes and shapes. On receiving maps the first time, we sent them back and clearly illustrated the changes required to correct them.”

When these were resent they were still wrong, but the latest set of maps that arrived last week appear to be correct, he says. The rest of his fields were recorded correctly, but he struggles to see why the changes have been so difficult. “It just seems such a hard job to get a relatively easy amendment,” he says.

“We received our SPS form last week, and it has been this week’s main job to complete it, along with starting T1 fungicide sprays.”

North

Northumberland barometer David Hall who manages Chipchase Estate Farm near Hexham received his 2010 SPS form and amended RLR maps on 23 April. “We’ve been so busy with lambing I haven’t had time to look at them yet – I’m hoping to get a chance next week.”

His original maps were accurate and the only amendments he needed to make were his own boundary changes. “They arrived just before harvest last year and we sent them back by mid August.”

Last year his application went without any hassle, but he’s not so confident this year. “I’m hoping the forms will be accurate, but we just don’t know what’s in store.

“It’s a bit of a farce that it’s the end of April and we have to turn them around by 17 May,” he says. “That only gives us a fortnight and it’s a really busy time of year.”

West

Peter Sands who farms at Brewood, Staffordshire, only needed to make two changes on his RLR maps, but he is still waiting for his 2009 payment to come through.

“There was no problem when we submitted it, but apparently they have underpaid us in the past and they wanted to sort these problems before sending.”

The NFU has written two letters on his behalf, but no progress has been made. “Three different people at the RPA have been dealing with the claim and it just gets pushed around.”

He has received his 2010 maps, which appear to be in order, and his 2010 application form arrived with the pre-populated information mostly correct, he says.

“There were two errors on the original map and thankfully these have been corrected.”

East

Eastern Barometer Edd Banks says he didn’t receive his original RLR maps until December 2009 and just one out of 25 maps were correct. He returned them promptly, but the revised versions only arrived last week, he says. “But they’ve still got major problems – I’ve still got about 200 acres of my neighbour’s farm included and several field boundaries are incorrect, too.”

As it’s too late to resubmit the maps before the 17 May deadline, he is having to send his 2010 SPS forms with corrections scribbled on the maps. “It would have been nice to get them right before we submitted the 2010 forms,” he says. “They had just about got the digitised maps right, so I can’t understand why they couldn’t overlay these on the new ones.”

North East

Jonathan Fenwick has had a catalogue of problems with his RLR maps. Last week he received his amended RLR maps, but his 2010 application form had still not arrived. “The maps are still wrong and I’ve been on the phone this morning trying to sort them out.”

Two fields are missing, totalling 45ha, he says. “I don’t feel comfortable sending back incorrect maps as I don’t know how lenient they will be.”

He has also had to re-register to complete this online application because of confusion over the two separate holding numbers he has.

Midlands

Tony Reynolds is also waiting for his RLR maps to arrive after he sent them back for the second time. He had inherited five neighbouring fields on the first set of maps, which were returned with corrections attached.

When these were sent back to him there was still an additional field attached to his holding, so he re-sent the corrections and is still waiting for the revised maps.

He received his pre-populated 2010 SPS forms, which look in order, bar the additional field, he says.

“But I think it’s very wrong that they send you incorrect information and then threaten to penalise the farmer if he doesn’t spot the mistakes.”

Scottish perspective