Written evidence submitted by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (RUT0035)

Submitter

Executive summary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BASC recommendation.
 

 

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation.

  1. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) is the representative body for sporting shooting in the UK with a membership of over 144,500. It aims to promote and protect sporting shooting and the wellbeing of the countryside throughout the UK and overseas. It actively promotes good firearms licensing practice, training, education, scientific research and practical habitat conservation. BASC is a member of the Sport and Recreation Alliance.

 

  1. Shooting tourism represents an important boost for rural areas in England, which is especially important in the tourism ‘off season’ months.  In 2015, BASC produced an infographic which highlighted the benefits of shooting related tourism across the UK (See Appendix 1).

The national Value of Shooting survey.

  1. The national Value of Shooting survey (PACEC 2014) collected responses from over 16,000 people in the UK. The headline figures are as follows (paras 4 to 16).
     
  2. Shooters spend £2.5 billion each year on goods and services.
     
  3. Shooting supports the equivalent of 74,000 full time jobs.
     
  4. Shooting is worth £2 billion to the UK economy (GVA).
     
  5. Shooting is involved in the management of two-thirds of the rural land area.
     
  6. There are 4 million (est) airgun owners – of which 1.6 million shoot live quarry. 600,000 people in the UK shoot live quarry, clay pigeons or targets.
     
  7. Shoot providers spend nearly £250 million a year on conservation.

 

  1. Shooters spend 3.9 million work days on conservation, which is the equivalent of 16,000 full-time jobs.

 

  1. Two million hectares are actively managed for conservation as a result of shooting.

 

  1. The estimated annual expenditure on travelling to shoots is £200 million.

 

  1. The annual amount spent locally by shooters on food and accommodation is around £246 million.

 

  1. Some 54% of shooting providers said their activity led to local overnight stays.

 

  1. The average number of visitor nights generated annually by each shoot was 59, meaning that the estimated number of visitor nights generated annually by shooting providers was 4.13 million.

 

  1. Shooting supports the equivalent of 5,200 paid full time jobs in the food and accommodation sector.

 

 

 

Game Shooting & Fishing Census 2015.

 

  1. The following information is based on the Game Shooting & Fishing Census 2015 (GunsOnPegs, RodsOnRivers & Strutt & Parker 2015) (paras 18 to 19).

 

  1. Some 64.8% of UK survey respondents were willing to travel up to 100 miles when paying for a shoot.

 

  1. The most popular areas to shoot continue to be in the South West, Scotland and the South East. The number of shoots visited per gun each season continues to grow steadily from last season's five to nearly six shoots this season.
     

England and its regions as shooting destinations.

 

  1. The national Value of Shooting survey (PACEC 2014) collected data on respondents’ country of residence and where they went shooting. Cross tabulated data from the survey revealed that of shooting locations in England as follows (paras 21 to 26).

 

  1. Respondents from England most commonly shot in South East England (42%).

 

  1. Respondents from Wales most commonly shot in South West England or the West Midlands (17% each).

 

  1. Respondents from Scotland most commonly shot in South East England (8%).

 

  1. Respondents from Northern Ireland most commonly shot in Greater London (5%).

 

  1. Respondents from overseas most commonly shot in South West England (24%).

 

  1. Overall, most respondents to the survey, regardless of their country of residence, shot in England (South East, 38% followed by South West, 28%).

 

How many people travel to England from abroad to shoot?

 

 

  1. Home Office shotgun and firearm statistics contain information on the number of visitor permits issued in the financial year. Visitor permits are issued when individuals or groups travel to the UK with their gun(s) for the purpose of shooting. The latest statistics for 2015/16 are as follows (paras 28 to 29).

 

  1. Some 1,228 visitor firearm permits and 5,613 visitor shotgun permits were issued on behalf of individuals travelling to England. 41 visitor firearm permits and 192 visitor shotgun permits were issued on behalf of groups travelling to England.

 

  1. Overall, 1,691 people travelling to England to shoot were covered by visitor firearm permits, and 6,846 by visitor shotgun permits.

 

  1. Many more foreign visitors to England will not require permits, if they choose to go shooting with firearms that have been legally borrowed in accordance with UK firearms law. However, there are currently no figures or estimates available on total numbers travelling.

 

 

 

 

Country Sports South West Project.

 

  1. The following information is based on an evaluation (Houston Economic Consulting Ltd 2014) of the County Sports South West England project (paras 32 to 44).

 

  1. In 2010, the South West Regional Development Agency saw the opportunity and potential of promoting country sports in the South West of England.

 

  1. As a result, a Country Sports South West (CSSW) project was initiated and funded through the Rural Development Programme for England.

 

  1. The project, which ran from 2010 to 2013, was managed by The British Association for Shooting and Conservation in partnership with West Country Rivers Trust.

 

  1. An evaluation into the project found that it had stimulated an investment of £666,632 in the country sports sector. The investments were made in very small businesses in the rural economy.

 

  1. The evaluation found that the project increased the number of people participating in country sports and supported developments that can appeal to different parts of the tourism/activities market. This ranged from clay pigeon shooting appropriate to families on holiday and corporate events through to syndicate shoots, which were more attractive to the higher end visitor.

 

  1. In the tourism and food sectors the multiplier effects of the project were found to be quite strong as there was an emphasis on local supply chains and sourcing.

 

  1. In relation to the tourism sector the following findings are pertinent (paras 39-44).

 

  1. Some 47% of respondents to the evaluation research had tourist accommodation.

 

  1. Accommodation bookings increased by 11% in the ‘March to May’ and ‘June to August’ periods and by 16% in the ‘September to November’ and ‘December to February’ periods.

 

  1. In the consumer evaluation research 29% of respondents had stayed overnight in the South West region in order to participate in country sports.

 

  1. Of those that stayed, the average length of stay was 3.1 days whilst the average number of people per party was 3.3. Visits were spread across the year and although the summer months had more visits, the highest number of visits were in September and November.

 

  1. It was also noted that a large proportion of respondents had participated in country sports in the South West region as day tourism visitors (48%).

 

  1. Some 35% of tourism accommodation providers contacted said additional visitors had been specifically attracted by the opportunity of undertaking country sports.

Exmoor National Park and wider area, Somerset/Devon.

  1. The following information was received by BASC from the Greater Exmoor Shoots Association in support of this submission (paras 46 to 59).

 

  1. The Greater Exmoor Shoots Association (GESA) represents all those involved in shooting across Exmoor and the greater area. GESA was founded to make a link between the Exmoor National Park Authority and the shooting community, and has commissioned several research projects (PACEC 2006).

 

  1. Game shooting on Exmoor contributes an estimated £32.5 million to the UK economy.  This is a remarkable figure given that shooting in the area is not generally intended for profit but is structured so that the provision of shooting  is paid for by its participants (half of Exmoor Shoots aim simply to break even). 

 

  1. It is significant that shooting on Exmoor provides an economic return from the upland farms and woods (where farming margins are thin and alternative sources of income are hard to find) and that the money is routed through the hands of the land managers. Many other countryside activities take advantage of the landowners' assets with little return to them (for example, regular tourism and the public benefits of access, etc).

 

  1. It is estimated that 18% of the total money spent by game shooting participants is retained in the Exmoor area.  This level of expenditure is a significant part of the overall tourism spend on Exmoor.

 

  1. The accommodation taken by shooting parties during the winter months (1st September to 1st February) sustains hotels, guest houses and pubs, and the shooting lodges that are also now being provided on Exmoor, and should not be undervalued, especially because it is at a time of year when they would otherwise have had few visitors.

 

  1. The number of visitor nights generated by game shooting has important implications for the level of spend in the surrounding area and the support of suppliers.  It is estimated that at least 2,800 visitor nights were generated on shoot sites with a further 14,000 elsewhere in the local area.

 

  1. The creation of jobs sustained by shooting is substantial for a remote rural area like Exmoor. It is estimated that there are between 125-135 paid gamekeepers (over 70 full-time jobs) employed on Exmoor shoots and that the average shoot operates around 25 days in the shooting season. Approximately 1,600 direct jobs in the local area are supported by the provision of shooting activities (260 full-time equivalents – paid and unpaid).

 

  1. In the UK as a whole, it is believed that more than 680 paid FTE jobs are supported by game shooting on Exmoor. Of these, 35% are supported directly and the remainder are supported indirectly, through purchases to suppliers by both individuals and firms, and as a result of firms and individuals spending their profits and wages.

 

  1. The National Park covers just under 700 km2, but has a population of only 10,600, making it one of the most sparsely populated areas of England.  Nearly 90% of the land is farmed, predominantly by grazing sheep and cattle.

 

  1. Shoots are growing in popularity and importance to the community.  Around 1,400 individuals participate as "Guns" but it should not be forgotten that the local shoot also provides opportunities for access to Exmoor and for recreation for beaters, pickers up and loaders.

 

  1. Although beaters’ daily payment may be small, it is significant income to many in the rural economy (retired people, young people, self-employed labour providers).  Those working on the shoot also enjoy the exercise and camaraderie involved.

 

  1. While the shooting is done by eight Guns on average, there will often be more around 40 people in the team of beaters, pickers-up, loaders and keepers.  Participants and workers will spend money on food and drink in the local area as well as on vet's services, dog food and training, wet-weather clothing and their travel to shoots, to name a few, most of which mean the money is spent and retained locally.

 

  1. About 1.4 million tourist days are spent in the area annually, of which a third are within the Exmoor National Park.  About £70 million is contributed annually to Exmoor’s economy by tourists, supporting 1,894 jobs.  The South West Regional Development Agency has recognised Exmoor as an “iconic” attraction, and aims to improve visitor and investor perceptions. GESA is currently working on updating these figures, as it is believed that they will have increased.

 

  1. For the most part, people tend to shoot in the area in which they live.  More than half of those shooting on Exmoor come from outside the South West.  Exmoor is popular among participants living in London and the South East of England and those living abroad.   Those shooting in Exmoor also tended to shoot in the South East of England and in Scotland.

The Epicurean Collection.

 

  1. The following information was received by BASC from the Epicurean Collection in support of this submission (paras 61 to 63).

 

  1. Most of the 19 inns in the Epicurean Collection are in remote rural areas, so shooting parties and individual shooters make up a vital part of our clientele. This is especially true during the winter when the shooting season coincides with our off peak period. The game produced on shoots is a delicious, local, free-range and nutritious food, which is very popular on our menus across the collection.

 

  1. We are also aware of the huge amount of conservation work done by the shooting community. This is vital to preserving the British countryside, its wildlife and its heritage on which our business depends.

 

  1. The 19 inns in the Epicurean Collection are as follows:

 

 

The Blue Lion, East Witton, North Yorkshire.

 

  1. The following information was received by BASC from the Blue Lion in support of this submission (paras 65 to 68).

 

  1. Surrounded by the splendour of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, we have run the Blue Lion Inn for over 20 years, offering accommodation, real ale and food at the bar and candlelit fine dining as required by our guests.

 

  1. Shooting is incredibly important for our business and we might not survive without shooting parties and individuals coming to stay with us, especially during the winter season.

 

  1. Shooting tourism in our area has increased over the years, so much so that we have increased our accommodation capacity to meet demand.

 

  1. It used to be quite normal for hotels and inns to close in the winter season, as it was not viable to retain staff over that period, but shooting and rambling through the winter months have definitely reversed that trend.

 

The Victoria Inn, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk.

 

  1. The following information was received by BASC from the Victoria Inn in support of this submission (paras 70 to 71).

 

  1. Being part of Holkham Estate the Victoria caters to a vast number of shoot parties, providing them with rooms and dinners.  Our 2016 rates are £135 for single occupancy and £200 for double. This includes dinner and breakfast.

 

  1. On average we host 25 shoot parties over the October to March season, nearly all of these being regulars and repeat visits, and usually between 15-30 guests at a time.

 

The Arundell Arms, Lifton, Devon.

  1. The following information is based on a number of online sources (including Bayley 2015 and Taste of Game 2015) (paras 73 to 78).

 

  1. The Arundell Arms is a West Country hotel that has been providing continuous hospitability for the last 300 years, the last 50 under the stewardship of the Fox-Edward family. The hotel has a strong reputation for hospitality, having won a number of tourism excellence awards, including the GunsOnPegs.com Good Shoot Hotel Awards, where they were the regional winner for the South West.

 

  1. Located in the heart of the West Country the hotel has always enjoyed a strong relationship with the surrounding countryside. Most of the ingredients used in the kitchens are fresh produce from local farms, alongside locally sourced fish and game.

 

  1. This rural relationship is enhanced by the copious field sports opportunities the hotel is able to offer guests, who have come from across the world to enjoy the challenges of West Country fishing, shooting and hunting.

 

  1. The wealth of shooting opportunities available to guests is impressive and includes driven snipe shooting, driven pheasant shooting, stalking for red and roe buck and rough and rabbit shooting.  The driven pheasant shooting available in Devon is noted for the exceptionally high and challenging birds. 

 

  1. Individuals who come to shoot often bring partners or other family members who can make use of the hotel's other facilities.

 

  1. The provision of these shooting opportunities to guests is critical to the local economy, especially as traditional “supper tripper” tourism starts to slow down in September.


Blanchland and Hunstanworth, County Durham.

  1. The following information is based on a Reconomics case study (Sport and Recreation Alliance 2014) (paras 80 to 84).

 

  1. Shooting creates a valuable economy for many remote communities. In 2009, the Countryside Alliance measured this contribution, focusing on the impact of grouse shooting in the two County Durham parishes of Blanchland and Hunstanworth.

 

  1. Questionnaires delivered to 108 households across the two parishes revealed that grouse shooting played a central role in community life, with positive social and economic benefits widely recognized. The research revealed that one in five residents were directly involved in grouse shooting, including gamekeepers, loaders, beaters, flankers and shooting managers.

 

  1. Of those responding to the survey, 91% agreed that grouse shooting delivered economic, social or environmental benefits, with nearly two thirds agreeing that they benefitted directly from grouse shooting. According to a parish survey quoted in the Daily Telegraph the average hotel occupancy rate rises from 50% to 65% during the four-month shooting season.

 

  1. Blanchland postmistress and village store owner Jacqui Dart told the Telegraph: "Throughout the shooting season I get an awful lot more business in the shop. My daughter relies on the money she can pick up as a beater during the school holidays."

 

  1. Moria, the owner of the Punch Bowl Inn in Consett, said: “We have a lot customers during the shoot; many of whom book months in advance as part of an organized party. The shoot is really quite important as it provides very good business for the local community during the quiet months.”

 

North York Moors.

 

  1. The following information is based on reports by North York Moors National Park Authority (2009) and the Foundation for Common Land (2015) (paras 86 to 87).

 

  1. The North York moors host around 192 shoot days a year, which support 25 full time equivalent game keeper jobs, and generate a potential revenue of £3,571,200 which can be ploughed back into local land management.  It was estimated that shooting parties visiting the North York moors spend £414,720 on accommodation and catering during their visits, a critical expenditure for a rural economy.

 

  1. At present, difficult farming conditions have seen a decline in traditional moorland sheep farming on the North York Moors. Grouse shooting is now a vital rather than peripheral aspect of the parks’ economy.  This is augmented by the fact that while bird watchers and walkers may make use of local accommodation, they do not directly fund moorland management in the same way as grouse shooters.

 

The Black Swan, Hemsley, North Yorkshire.

 

  1. The following information is based on a number of online sources (including Black Swan 2016 and Shooting Gazette 2015) (paras 89 to 93).

 

  1. The Black Swan Hotel is located in the town of Helmsley, North Yorkshire on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. The Black Swan started as a coaching inn in 1838 and has provided hospitality to visitors ever since. The hotel now has 45 en-suite bedrooms and an award winning restaurant famed for its use of local ingredients including pheasant, duck, partridge and grouse sourced from shoots across Yorkshire.

 

  1. Given its unique position next to England’s North York moors, the management of the Black Swan have worked hard to ensure the hotel can cater to discerning shooters, and the hotel now has an enviable reputation in shooting circles.

 

  1. In 2012, GunsOnPegs.com rated the Hotel as one of the top 12 hotels for shooters to visit, while the Shooting Gazette describes the hotel as “One of the biggest jewels in Yorkshire’s sporting Hotels crown.” 

 

  1. Steps the hotel has taken to cater to shooters include the provision of secure gun cabinets, dog friendly hotel rooms and special dining arrangements for shooters departing early and arriving late. 

 

  1. The hotel maintains close relationships with commercial shooting providers and local estates including Rievaulx, Duncombe Park, Ravenswick, Hawnby, Urra, and Farndale. While this permits guests access to world class shooting, it also provides a strong bond between the shooting and hospitality sectors.

 

Hospitality sector, South West of England

  1. The following statement was submitted to PACEC (2014) as an anonymous case study from the hospitality sector in South West England (paras 95 to 106).

 

  1. The hotel is situated between a number of large shoots close to the river valley and accessible via high hedged B-road support. It comprises six buildings and 36 bedrooms centred around the old Manor House. There are three restaurants including a high end starred restaurant and a brasserie with some 260 covers in total and additional capacity in the bar. There is also a 120 acre golf range and the hotel has gun cupboards and safes for visitors and kennels for dogs.

 

  1. The complex was refurbished with £1.5 million of funds some eight years ago. The shooting activities nearby played a key part in the plans and there are strong links with local shoot managers and gamekeepers.

 

  1. The shooting clients come mainly from the South East and Surrey and work primarily in the insurance, financial services and legal sectors. Some of the shoots are corporate bookings but they are primarily independent groups of friends and colleagues with wives and partners.

 

  1. There are some 55 employees (rising to 75 in the summer months) of which 25 are FTE. There is a hierarchy of skills from the hotel and restaurant managers and top chefs (acquiring two rosettes). Most of these are recruited from outside the area as the local supply of skilled labour is not sufficiently strong. The administration, reception, housekeeping and food services staff are almost 100% local.

 

  1. Training is important and provided to NVQ level predominantly by well-known national training providers who train in situ on the job, and Exeter College. There is also a fully qualified Estate manager and gamekeeper with green keepers and groundsmen primarily for the golf course.

 

  1. The prime shooting period is in January, when participants are the main hotel occupants with accommodation in the manor house. Shooting is probably supporting 15% of all staff over the year and is a very important market.

 

  1. Some 75% of supplies are sourced locally primarily food such as lamb and beef, poultry, fish, vegetables, bread from the local bakeries and beer. Within a fifteen mile radius, the St Austell brewery is a favourite. Building maintenance, golf course subcontractors are almost all local. Only some of the dried food is not locally sourced.

 

  1. Some of the birds, mainly pheasants, from the shoots are brought back to the hotel and some are sourced from game preparation firms. However most of the quantity can be exported via specialist firms in the Midlands who collect the birds on a daily basis and who then ship them to European markets.

 

  1. The shooting fraternity who stay at the hotel and use the restaurants have helped to upgrade quality overall. This has made it easier to attract other “top end clients” while still catering for the middle market. The hotel provides gun cabinets and kennels to accommodate 50% of shooters who bring their dogs.

 

  1. The parties themselves include wives and partners, some of whom follow the shooting. On other days they tend to visit the local sites and gardens (some RHS listed and approved). The golfing visitors form a different group from the shooting parties and they did not mix, apart from socially at the bar.

 

  1. These primarily feature the employment opportunities and the need to upgrade skills across the staff profile with a rich diversity of occupations and skills. The subcontractors benefit indirectly from the income that flows and from the shooting clients where the expenditure per capita is higher than for most of the other visitors. The social network and benefits are extended through the local recruitment and the links to the shoots and other attractions.

 

  1. It is considered that growth will continue and increase by 100% in three years’ time (reflecting 50% growth in shooting in the previous season). The shooting cake will continue to grow and the hotel share is likely to increase in size. Total turnover was £1.5 million per annum last year and there were plans to add fifteen bedrooms.

Hospitality sector, North of England

  1. The following statement was submitted to PACEC (2014) as an anonymous case study from the hospitality sector in the North of England (paras 108 to 118).

 

  1. The hotel is situated in a very scenic location on the edge of the Moors in the North Pennines at around one thousand feet and close to the river that flows eastwards to the North Sea. Access is by B roads as they leave the main trunk roads. It has twenty one bedrooms and a restaurant with eighty covers.

 

  1. The hotel lies close to a number of large shooting sites (of between 5,000 and 16,000 acres each) which was a primary reason for refurbishing and extending the old original stone buildings. Some four fifths of the shooting clients who stay are English, primarily from the north and the southeast, with visitors from Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and France. They tend to bring their own guns and the hotel provides gun cupboards which have been upgraded, expanded and made secure. Shooting clients are mainly in small groups with their wives and partners, who stay for three to five nights on average and tend to eat in the restaurant after a day’s shooting.

 

  1. The hotel and restaurant employs 35-40 staff who are almost all local and commute from the villages in the Moors, river valleys and small towns within a 10 to 12 miles radius. The peak periods for shooting are from August for three to four months and then in January and February. The shooting related employment accounts for some 60% of the total in these periods and some 22 and 23 staff and 20% over the whole year (i.e. 7-8 staff).

 

  1. There is a blend of skills required for the hotel and restaurant which ranges from managers to chefs and kitchen staff, bar staff, waiters, reception and admin staff to cleaners and maintenance personnel. There are two apprenticeships in hospitality skills and training is organised for other staff through the regional FE colleges and private training on-site. The shooting guests in particular require high quality services and food.

 

  1. Virtually all the services and food are sourced locally within ten to twelve miles including supplies from the village shop to other, some superstores and specialists who supply lamb, beef, poultry, locally caught fish, and game (grouse and pheasants in season) and local / regional ales. The emphasis is on reliability and quality. Shooting visitors look for the local experience which combines the quality shooting with the local hospitality.

 

  1. Suppliers in the specialist fields require the necessary qualifications and skills to produce the quality products required. Some of the suppliers of food and other services have needed to upgrade staff skills to meet the requirements of the hotel.

 

  1. Some of those who shoot can bring their own game to the restaurant for their evening meals and the hotel restaurant purchases game from the local shoots.

 

  1. A further link with suppliers is through the local training providers in the public and private sectors.

 

  1. To meet the requirements of those shooting the hotel has needed to create the local experience (which now applies to most clients) and diversify into organising trips to alternative local attractions for those who are with shooting partners but who don’t shoot. Attractions include local moorland visits and forest walking, nature tracks, heritage and cultural attractions and shopping trips.

 

  1. These primarily result from the employment offered to local people (with some up-skilling) and the income spent on local purchases which supports other jobs. The hotel has also helped underpin the quality and international markets for some of the shooting providers, as the “high end” shooting visitors now find it easier to stay at the area close to the shoots. The local employees help to integrate the hotel and restaurant with the local community in the surrounding villages.

 

  1. Overall the hotel is not dependent on the shooting parties but they make a significant contribution to the bottom line. The growth in shooting visitors is anticipated at 75% to 80% up to 2017/2018.

 

Public access

 

  1. BASC recognises the value of access to the countryside which allows sensible and responsible use of land and water for recreation, with fit for purpose safeguards for land management, other activities, and wildlife. 

 

  1. There is sufficient public access in England and the focus of the government should be on maintenance of that access, raising awareness of it and encouraging people to use it. The use of coastal access routes should be managed to minimise impact on wildlife.

 

VisitEngland

  1. VisitEngland is a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. It is tasked with building England’s tourism product, raising Britain’s profile worldwide, increasing the volume and value of tourism exports and developing England and Britain’s visitor economy. VisitEngland does not currently promote shooting tourism.

 

BASC recommendation

 

  1. BASC recommends that VisitEngland raises the profile of England and its regions as shooting destinations and would welcome the opportunity to work with VisitEngland on this matter. The case studies in this submission evidence the positive impact on rural growth of encouraging more visits by individuals and shooting parties to locations in England.

References

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix 1

BASC produced the following infographic in 2015, which highlights the benefits of shooting related tourism across the UK. These benefits are felt in every country of the UK, including England.

August 2016