UPDATE: TVP FAC/SGC Renewals

[Lord V]

Absolutely.

In a very practical sense the performance of a police force is on the shoulders of the Commissioners. We can argue about how effective these are until the cows come home, but the fact is that these are elected officials and we as gun owners should be using that to our advantage. The failure or inability of forces to measure the most basic KPI of renewal/grant turn around times raises quite serious questions about the importance placed on the process by each force.

Elected officials are far more open to pressure then their 'in the job' counterparts. While as private individuals we have little scope as to what we can directly question without being fobbed off, MP's have far more power in that regard. The last thing a PCC wants is to be hauled up in front of a parliamentary committee to explain their short comings and failures.

 

[basil]

Absolutely.

In a very practical sense the performance of a police force is on the shoulders of the Commissioners. We can argue about how effective these are until the cows come home, but the fact is that these are elected officials and we as gun owners should be using that to our advantage. The failure or inability of forces to measure the most basic KPI of renewal/grant turn around times raises quite serious questions about the importance placed on the process by each force.

Elected officials are far more open to pressure then their 'in the job' counterparts. While as private individuals we have little scope as to what we can directly question without being fobbed off, MP's have far more power in that regard. The last thing a PCC wants is to be hauled up in front of a parliamentary committee to explain their short comings and failures.

Our MP Ian Liddle Grainger has just been caught with an expired firearms license. He`s now blaming A & S and the fact they`ve told him it will take 16 weeks to renew.
I`ll wager he isn`t prosecuted.

 

[Lord V]

Our MP Ian Liddle Grainger has just been caught with an expired firearms license. He`s now blaming A & S and the fact they`ve told him it will take 16 weeks to renew.
I`ll wager he isn`t prosecuted.

I would think that would be because he voluntarily surrendered his firearms when he realised...

There is correspondence between ILG and myself on the previous page ...

 

[I. Farticus]

North Yorks Police have recently confirmed the following:

NORTHERN SHOOTING SHOW 6-7th MAY 2017.
After the success of last years show, our department will once again be attending the show to give advice and assistance to the shooting community. We will be approving variations and producing new firearm certificates over the weekend and conduction [sic] interviews to fast track new applications.
Come and see us

I mentioned to Duncan "Tweeds" Thomas of BASC that as folks will be travelling to the event from all over, would it make sense for other forces to have tables set up in the same area to do the same for their licence holders.

I'd be staggered if anything came of it, but we can only ask!

 

[Disco_Richy]

Kudos to NYP - as you say though, how many other forces do you think would give doing that a second thought. The poorest performers guaranteed to be at the back of the 'can we come?' waiting list I'd bet :/

I imagine the thought of issuing variations - and new FACS?! - at the NSS would be an utterly alien concept to a lot of forces, after hearing the 'don't believe what people tell you about Wiltshire etc'-responses other people have received...

 

[I. Farticus]

Interesting article in this weeks Shooting UK newsletter, where the author properly tears into TVP:
http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/firearms/firearms-licensing-in-the-thames-valley-85331

David Frost is the author of Sporting Shooting and The Law available via NGO, so clearly knows something about all this...
http://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/shop/books-and-booklets/sporting-shooting-and-the-law

Shooting UK shares ownership with Shooting Times, The Shooting Gazette, The Field, Sporting Gun and Horse & Hound, so it'll be interesting to see fall out there is

 

[kennyc]

Interesting article in this weeks Shooting UK newsletter, where the author properly tears into TVP:
http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/firearms/firearms-licensing-in-the-thames-valley-85331

David Frost is the author of Sporting Shooting and The Law available via NGO, so clearly knows something about all this...
http://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/shop/books-and-booklets/sporting-shooting-and-the-law

Shooting UK shares ownership with Shooting Times, The Shooting Gazette, The Field, Sporting Gun and Horse & Hound, so it'll be interesting to see fall out there is

incredible! if I hadn't lived it I wouldn't have believed it!

 

[bish789]

North Yorks Police have recently confirmed the following:

NORTHERN SHOOTING SHOW 6-7th MAY 2017.
After the success of last years show, our department will once again be attending the show to give advice and assistance to the shooting community. We will be approving variations and producing new firearm certificates over the weekend and conduction [sic] interviews to fast track new applications.
Come and see us

I mentioned to Duncan "Tweeds" Thomas of BASC that as folks will be travelling to the event from all over, would it make sense for other forces to have tables set up in the same area to do the same for their licence holders.

I'd be staggered if anything came of it, but we can only ask!

Proactive from North Yorks.
It will be interesting to see how the event pans out.
Worthwhile though if you want a variation, at least you can find out there and then.

 

[I. Farticus]

It's not just us proles that are struggling with the additional Dr fees and lengthy waits:
http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/news/co...licence-and-brands-40-gp-fee-a-disgrace-86903

 

[oxonhunter]

i just had a phone call from a guy from Firearms Licensing Department he said sorry that my tickets have taken so long process.
and that he is going to get my tickets out to me asap but can i email him a set photos
as the photos i sent in with my renewal forms they have lost the photos

 

[Lord V]

I wrote to my MP about the issue - no response.

 

[I. Farticus]

I wrote to my MP about the issue - no response.

Email might be better than a letter, cc'ing Chief of Police and head of CA/BASC/NGO or whichever mob you're with... Could be worth cc'ing the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, as sometimes escalation is the only way to get this stuff noticed - amber.rudd.mp@parliament.uk

 

[Lord V]

Sorry, I meant email.

Will give it another shot with every relevant email address I can find.

 

[oxonhunter]

there's still no sign on my tickets and my 2nd lot of Temporary Permits runs out today

 

[kennyc]

there's still no sign on my tickets and my 2nd lot of Temporary Permits runs out today

letter writing time !

 

[I. Farticus]

Sussex seems to be leading the way!

https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co...you-ve-come-up-trumps-again!?highlight=sussex

Anyone have an up to date tale of TVP?

 

[kennyc]

just seen 4 months for a variation on the full-bore forum

 

[Fielder]

Hi All

I came across this thread while doing a little research and signed up to here to add to it. I applied for my FAC with Themes Valley 2 weeks ago. I phoned to follow it up last week and was told it was best to wait until 2 weeks after I have posted my forms before chasing as it takes that long for it to reach the officers in the firearms dept in the first place. I have held a SGC for 8 years and moved into the themes valley area last year (was previously in Hertfordshire where a grant or renewal took 6 weeks) so I have already had a visit from my local firearms officer when I moved into the area back in August. It took 4 months from me informing them of my move for them to visit and I will need to have another visit for my FAC application.

I will try and keep everyone here updated on my progress. Everybody I have spoken to so far has been very polite and it is clear the officers involved are really struggling with the workload. I said I had seen the horror stories of 9 months and was told there was a lot of truth behind them and things have really been bad but there is a new system in place speeding things up. The two people I have spoken to have both said that 4 months is a realistic time frame (will see if that is the case). I’m curious to know if the area of Themes Valley you live in has any effect? Frustratingly if I lived 3 miles in the other direction I’d still be under herts. Also I’m applying for Target Rifle at a club not on land so I’m wondering if this will affect the speed or not?

 

[dave 67]

Not sure on if target rifle applications in Thames Valley are any quicker than other applications as its all run out of the same office in Kidlington wouldn't have thought so.

But you may find your stay here is short if you don't post an introduction as per the site rules, admin are a bit keen on people saying hello before posting.

PS it's Thames not Themes!

 

[Disco_Richy]

I said I had seen the horror stories of 9 months and was told there was a lot of truth behind them and things have really been bad but there is a new system in place speeding things up. The two people I have spoken to have both said that 4 months is a realistic time frame (will see if that is the case)

My application went in mid August, had my visit start of Feb. Another chap I know in TVP had another 2.5 months wait after his interview before his ticket arrived. So I'd say 8 months or so is still about the going rate here atm.