BASC responds to return of shooting on December 2

[Conor O'Gorman]

BASC is advising members that all outdoor shooting activities, including driven game shooting and other types of group shooting, can resume in England from Wednesday, December 2.

This follows an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of his ‘Winter Plan’ for dealing with Covid 19.

He said that organised outdoor sports and physical activity can resume in England, regardless of the tiered system which he plans to introduce on December 2. The details of those tiers are expected to be released on Thursday and will then be voted on by Parliament.

But BASC is now advising that all shooting can resume so long as it is done in a Covid-safe manner.

BASC England director Dan Reynolds said: “It has been a frustrating couple of weeks for the shooting community, not least because there was genuine confusion around the date on which shooting could resume. But government has now cleared that up and we are looking forward to getting back out on December 2.

“Based on the latest guidance, driven shooting will be free to resume in England. While we await final news of the tiered system and the final legal regulation, people can at last begin to look forward to heading back to the field in the weeks before Christmas.

“The reaction from the shooting community to the restrictions across the UK has been overwhelming. The pandemic has impacted us all, socially, economically and by bringing about some difficult questions, but the resolute determination from our members has been first class.

“BASC has dealt with thousands of membership enquiries over November, the feedback from my team has been wholly positive. We have been working non-stop to ensure our members have the most up to date information to hand. Constant communication with the highest level of government has allowed us to be a leader in this aspect.

“Be under no illusion that this pandemic has not yet finished impacting our lives, we must ensure our activities for the rest of the season and going forward remain inside the law and do not damage shooting’s reputation”

“BASC has published the Covid Code and detailed guidance for game shoots in England, we advise people to follow that so that their shooting remains Covid safe in the weeks and months ahead.”

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

Below is BASC advice as of 24 November - this is subject to change so do check the England section of our website at The latest coronavirus restrictions and their impact on shooting

Advice on the Tiered System that will replace the National Lockdown in England

The following is an interpretation of the government guidance published on 23 November. We will update our advice should it be necessary to do so once the implementing legislation has been published and scrutinised by Parliament.

When does the lockdown end?

Government guidance states that the new Tiered system will now come into effect from the beginning of 2 December. That means from the 2 December, subject to following strict Covid-19 guidelines, organised outdoor physical activity, including shooting, will be permitted.

Government regulations previously stated that the current national lockdown in England would last up to and including 2 December with the new Tiered system coming into effect on 3 December.

Where will the different tiers apply?

Government has said the new Tiers will be applied ‘locally’ or ‘regionally’. The Tier area boundaries will be published on Thursday 26 November and there will be a Tier Checker on the gov.uk website where people can enter a postcode and find out which Tier it is going to be in.

Outdoor shooting activity

In all Tier areas, organised outdoor sport and physical activity (including shooting) can continue. Government guidance does not suggest that such activity will be subject to gathering limits (the ‘rule of six’).

The legal requirements for shooting in groups are expected to remain as they were before the second lockdown. This means that the organiser or a participant must hold a valid shotgun or firearm certificate, conduct a risk assessment, and ensure all reasonable measures to limit the transmission of the coronavirus, but the legislation has yet to be published.

Those at work or providing voluntary services are exempt from gathering limits (e.g. gamekeepers, beaters and pickers-up).

Outdoor leisure and sports venues (including shooting venues) will be permitted to open.

Indoor shooting activity

Organised indoor sport (such as target shooting) can take place in accordance with the ‘rule of six’ in Tier 1 areas. In Tier 2 areas, organised indoor sport can take place if separate households can be prevented from mixing. Organised indoor sport cannot take place in Tier 3 areas. There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes, supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s.

Shoot meals and accommodation

Shoots operating as a business and providing food and drink or accommodation must follow the relevant Tier guidance for the hospitality sector. Guest accommodation in Tier 3 areas must close.

Shoots not operating as a business and providing food and drink must conform to the indoor and outdoor gathering limits for the relevant Tier in force in their area. The exemption of outdoor physical activity from the gathering limits does not apply to associated social activity

Travel and overnight stays

When travelling into or staying in a higher Tier area you should follow the rules for that area. When travelling into or staying in a lower Tier area, people should follow the rules for the Tier of your home area.

Government advice is that you should avoid travel to Tier 3 areas other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. Similarly, government advice is that people should avoid travel out of a Tier 3 area other than where necessary.

Overnight stays for driven game shooting in Tier 3 areas are not permitted as guest accommodation must close and mixing of separate households indoors is not permitted.

Gun shops

Non-essential retail, including gun shops will be permitted to open.

Click here for the latest post-lockdown government guidance

 

[mallettn]

That's good news and very clear and helpful Connor - thank-you

 

[jb7x57]

Would you be able to travel out of tier 3 to go shooting and then back home

 

[Heym SR20]

Please can The BASC put some pressure on the Scottish Authorities to get us able to go shooting again. The heavy and now legal enforcement of travel restrictions is preventing lots of shooting.

And i have now heard from 3 separate shooting acquaintances that Police Scotland have been turning up at Shoots, inspectinf Certicates and sending home those who have travelled from outside the area.

And they’ve closed the English border.

 

[Sharpie]

Two aquaintances were stopped just over the Scottish border recently, then sent back home. One vehicle, two men, ID checked and determined not to be sharing the same home (they never claimed to be partners or bubbling or anything like that, just answered truthfully). Wanting to do some hill walking and mountain biking for the day then returning, in a low category part of the borders..£300 fines each delivered a few days later at their English addresses in Northumberland, to rise to £1000 each if not paid promptly.

 

[countrryboy]

But surely the english border really shouldn't be open the now anyway?
Apart from wagons/essential travel etc
England's on lock down so shouldn't be leaving and the border areas are tier 2 so ur not allowed to travel in from higher tier zones which is just as true from folk travelling down from galsgow etc as folk coming up from eng.

Be interesting to see wot happens come the 2nd of Dec for guns travelling up into tier 2 regions.

Still shoots going on just all local guns and beaters, which has meant a lot of days cancelled.

Must admit I'm not sure if I want guns from down south coming up or not to our relatively virus free area, not fair on the folk in hotels who have to serve them and clean there rooms.
Not to worried on the shoots themselves for safety etc more the wider public.

And when folk on other threads are losing their panties over folk not wearing a mask is it really wise to travel 400 miles from by cities to rural areas??

 

[Jgray]

BASC is advising members that all outdoor shooting activities, including driven game shooting and other types of group shooting, can resume in England from Wednesday, December 2.

This follows an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of his ‘Winter Plan’ for dealing with Covid 19.

He said that organised outdoor sports and physical activity can resume in England, regardless of the tiered system which he plans to introduce on December 2. The details of those tiers are expected to be released on Thursday and will then be voted on by Parliament.

But BASC is now advising that all shooting can resume so long as it is done in a Covid-safe manner.

BASC England director Dan Reynolds said: “It has been a frustrating couple of weeks for the shooting community, not least because there was genuine confusion around the date on which shooting could resume. But government has now cleared that up and we are looking forward to getting back out on December 2.


“The reaction from the shooting community to the restrictions across the UK has been overwhelming. The pandemic has impacted us all, socially, economically and by bringing about some difficult questions, but the resolute determination from our members has been first class.

“BASC has dealt with thousands of membership enquiries over November, the feedback from my team has been wholly positive. We have been working non-stop to ensure our members have the most up to date information to hand. Constant communication with the highest level of government has allowed us to be a leader in this aspect.


“BASC has published the Covid Code and detailed guidance for game shoots in England, we advise people to follow that so that their shooting remains Covid safe in the weeks and months ahead.”

Thanks for the update