UK SBS PS17147 Landowner Permissions for Scientific Sampling Visits

Note : The Tender Deadline for Responses is 20/07/2017 NERC are conducting a scientific study that involves taking physical samples of soil and plants from the countryside on a regular basis - this involves a person (or team of 2 or 3 people) travelling to a specific location and collecting samples of soil, insects and plants.

This is a regular and normal activity but permission is needed each time from the owner of the land.

The permission covers allowing NERC on the land, getting to the specific location (perhaps across several farm fields for example), and permission to take the samples and collect and use the information that is gathered.

NERC are currently planning a series of these sampling surveys starting in September 2017.

The intention is to visit 80 locations per 12-month period.

Previously NERC have completed the 'landowner permission' process in-house, but are now looking to outsource this in order to realise efficiencies.

It is also sometimes the case that in order to access a particular plot, surveyors will have to cross some other landowner's land (just transit over, not taking samples) - in this case the permission of the landowner whose land we are traversing is still needed.

This is not very common.

The high-level process is to; identify the landowner, identify any other landowners from which transit access will be required, this is done through the use of letters, phone calls and answer phone messages.

NERC acknowledges that the situation and timing may not allow this entire sequence - the detail of exception handling must be agreed as part of the setup process.

The process must be somewhat flexible and react to the situation of each landowner.

The letters maybe contain several pages and enclosures.

Letters to landowners in Wales must be bilingual.

The letters and phone calls will offer the landowner a variety of ways to respond including; A reply-slip, by return post, to phone in and talk to a person if questions or to provide permission, an email response and accessing a website to provide a response online (NERC will provide this website).

The supplier must provide a dedicated phone number and human call-handling to handle coming phone responses.

Volume is very low but properly handling each one is critical (because it might be granting permission).

Extended phone answering hours are required; ideally 6am to 9pm, 7 days a week but lesser hours will be considered (evening hours are more important than early morning hours, Saturday is more important than Sunday).

At times contact might happen with a tenant of the land (e.g. a tenant farmer), this is useful but not sufficient.

Permissions must be granted from the landowner.

Tenants often will supply landowner details and may provide practical advice about access.

All information should be captured.