Grandfather Rights for Pesticide Spraying Coming to an End

Oswestry, United Kingdom, July 19, 2015 --(PR.com)-- North Shropshire College’s (NSC) Walford Campus is ready to assist people affected by the end of the ‘Grandfather Rights’ exemption when using pesticides, there will be a number of qualifications available to those affected. The current exemption for people born before December 31st 1964 for using Plant Protective Products (PPP) authorised for professional use, will be coming to an end in November this year.

The exemption, known as ‘Grandfather Rights’, will end with a change in the law on 26th November 2015. People who use PPP will have to have a Certificate of Competence from a recognised body, this includes use on crops, land, produce, materials and buildings which are owned, occupied or rented by them or their employer. After 26th November, it will be an offence to purchase PPP’s authorised for professional use unless they have ensured that the intended end user has a certificate.

City and Guilds Land Services have developed a Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Pesticides for people who will lose their ‘Grandfather Rights’, and use pesticides on land they own or their employer owns. The qualification will take into account the fact that people working under ‘Grandfather Rights’ will have many years of experience, and should already have some form of training. In recognition of this, the qualification has been developed so it will cost less and be shorter in duration than the existing Level 2 Qualifications for PPP users.

If you don’t already have a certificate, you will need to get one by 26 November 2015 so that you can continue to use PPP’s as part of your job after that date. North Shropshire College’s (NSC) Rural Skills Coordinator, Chloe Bird, commented ‘NSC’s Walford Campus offers a wide selection of training and qualifications appropriate for all users of PPP’s, from professional contractors to Smallholder owners.’

For more information on PPP qualifications on offer or to book a course at NSC’s Walford Campus, please call Chloe Bird on 01939 262102 or email c.dodsworth@nsc.ac.uk. You can also visit www.nsc.ac.uk and download a part-time prospectus.