Annex 1: Your digital maps
The information below shows you how to check your digital maps and make changes to them in the Rural Payments service.
You can look at digital maps of the individual land parcels which are linked to your SBI in the Rural Payments service. You can see them as either an OS map or as an aerial photo - you can print the OS map view too. On the ‘Business overview’ screen, click the ‘View land’ link.
It’s important that you check your digital maps in the ‘View land’ screen from the Business overview screen because we’ve reviewed and updated our mapping information, where necessary, since applications were made for BPS 2021. We’ve updated our digital land maps using the latest available data sources, such as aerial photography and Ordnance Survey updates.
If we’ve updated your land parcels, you will have received notifications in the ‘All messages’ tab in the Rural Payments service identifying which land parcels have been updated.
We’ll also send you an email to remind you to check your notifications, so it’s important that you keep your email address up to date.
If you do not agree with the changes, what you need to do is explained in the section ‘Land cover and how to change it’ below.
You’ll see a summary of your land parcels giving the number of parcels and their total area, and a list of all the individual land parcels. Click on the individual land parcel details to see more information about that parcel, for example, BPS eligible area, total area and land cover.
The ‘Land summary’ screen will highlight if there are any changes ‘pending’ on any of the land parcels - if there are, you will see an ‘!’ icon (exclamation mark). This means we’re still working on changes to that land parcel, so you should take account of any outstanding RLE1 forms that you’ve sent to us - or any outstanding site visit (inspection) reports. You do not need to send us another RLE1 form.
If there are no changes ‘pending’, but you need to make changes to the land parcel, send us an RLE1 form and sketch map to tell us about the changes.
If you can’t see a particular land parcel, this could be because it isn’t linked to your SBI – or isn’t registered on our database at all. For information about what you need to do, follow the instructions detailed in the table in the ‘Add or remove land parcels at part C’ section.
From the ‘Land summary’ screen, click the details for an individual land parcel and you can see the ‘land cover’ for that land parcel in the ‘Parcel details’ screen. This will be either arable, permanent pasture, permanent crops or ‘other’ (non-agricultural area, with the type of non-agricultural area if that has been mapped, such as ungrazeable scrub). It is important that this information is correct.
Read about how to change the land cover for a land parcel.
Important: before you change the land cover for an individual land parcel, check that this will not affect any Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship agreement that the land parcel has been included in. For more information, read the section on ‘Change land use – columns C6 and C7’. You can also read the RLE1 guidance on GOV.UK for more information.
If you have an exclamation mark (!) icon next to a land parcel in the Land summary screen
You need to make your application and ensure that the information in your ‘Update land use’ screen is up to date. The exclamation mark shows that we’re still mapping changes, but you do not need to wait for us to finish before you apply.
If you sent us an RLE1 and sketch map to tell us about a change to your land – but the change is not on your maps and you cannot see an exclamation mark (!) icon
You need to do one of the following.
- Email us at ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk
- Call us on 03000 200 301
- Write to us at Rural Payments Agency, PO Box 352, Worksop S80 9FG
Give your SBI and use ‘Mapping Query’ as the subject heading of an email or letter and give details of the change that you’ve requested.
You should still submit your BPS 2022 application based on the information you have to the best of your knowledge and send an email to us to explain what you’ve done.
If you think we have mapped a permanent non-agricultural feature or area, or land parcel boundary incorrectly
You need to send us an email or a letter to let us know, if you have already told us about the change. If you have them, include a copy of any RLE1 forms and maps you have sent to us (if applicable) about the non-agricultural area or feature (read the RLE guidance for more information).
Print a copy of the land parcel from the ‘Parcel details’ screen and mark the change required on it (include any measurements if you have them and if it is a feature, what the feature is).
Make sure the feature has the correct area/land use code in your land use screen.
If you have land cover shown on your maps which is incorrect
You need to do one of the following.
- Where there is one land cover type for the whole land parcel, call us.
- If there is more than one land cover for a land parcel, you need to fill in an RLE1 form and send it to us with a sketch map clearly marked with the land cover and areas.
If you see a change to your maps and aren’t sure why we have made it (for example it isn’t a change you told us about)
You need to check the ‘All messages’ tab in the Rural Payments service for any new notifications.
We use all available data sources, including aerial photos and Ordnance Survey map updates, to keep our land information up to date, and to check any applications you make.
We won’t write to you anymore to tell you when we make a change to your maps based on these data sources, but you will receive a notification when we make these changes – check ‘All messages’ tab regularly in the Rural Payments service.
If you do not agree with the changes
If it is a change to land cover, see the query above.
If you disagree with a split or merger of parcels, providing you are the sole applicant and there is no overall change to the eligible area you are applying for, there is no need to update your maps before you apply. If you wish us to do so, then please tell us later in the year.
If the changes do affect the eligible area of the land parcel, you need to fill in an RLE1 form and submit this along with a sketch map. Then, continue to make your application using the information you’ve given us on the RLE1 form.
If you notice a mapping change made by RPA after you’ve submitted your 2022 application – and need to update your claim
You need to refer to the section ‘After you’ve applied: how to make changes to your application’.
However, you can’t make these changes if:
- you have already been told about any non-compliance affecting the agricultural parcel you want to amend
- an inspection has revealed a non-compliance affecting the agricultural parcel you want to amend
- you have received advance warning of a site visit (inspection).
Read the ‘Basic Payment Scheme: rules for 2022’ for more information.
If you want to know if you should send us an RLE1 form and sketch map to tell us about changes to your land
You need to send us an RLE1 form and sketch map by email or post if you are:
- registering new land parcels
- transferring parcels – if you cannot make the transfer in the Rural Payments service
- dividing or merging parcels
- making permanent boundary changes
- adding or deleting permanent non-agricultural areas and features that are not already shown on your maps
- changing land cover – where there is more than one land cover for a land parcel
You do not need to send us an RLE1 form if you’ve already sent one telling us about a change, and an exclamation mark (!) icon is showing against your land parcel on the ‘Land summary’ screens in the Rural Payments service.
If you have a small area of land at least 0.01 of a hectare in size that has been wrongly mapped as ineligible land
You need to change the land use (read the ‘Change – your land use’ section), and send us an RLE1 form to ask us to change the land cover to eligible land.
If you have a land parcel that has been incorrectly merged with someone else’s land parcel
You need to apply on the eligible land area within the parcel and then send us an RLE1 form and sketch map by email or post to correct the land parcel boundaries. Read ‘C6 –Part field size’. Do not fill in a land use code for the area that is not yours.
For more information read the RLE1 guidance. You can find the RLE1 form and guidance on GOV.UK.
If you need to send us a map showing any changes, print the individual land parcel from the Rural Payments service ‘Land summary’ screen mark it up and send it to us with your RLE1 form.