RPA Calculation of BPS for Owners Surplus

The RPA allows owners of common land to make a claim and establish entitlements for “surplus” grazing where the total registered grazing rights expressed in LUs are less than the prescribed level of stocking for the category of land.

This is defined by the RPA as 0.25LU/ha for Severely Disadvantaged Area (SDA) Moorland and Non-SDA Heathland, 0.75LU/ha for SDA.

If a claim for entitlements was made by the owner in 2005 the RPA determined the stocking density (LU/ha) of the registered rights and if this was less than the prescribed level the difference between the prescribed level and the register was converted into a notional area and awarded to the owner.

If the stocking density of rights on the register was more than the prescribed level then there was no owner’s surplus. For instance, if the registered rights equated to a density of 0.2 LU/ha on an SDA common of 1000 ha then there is notional surplus grazing of 20% or 200ha.

1 (0.25 LU/ha– 0.2 LU/ha)/0.25 LU/ha * 1000 ha = 200ha.