challenging tomes ahaead

Hoteliers in Bristol have cautiously welcomed the support for their sector which was outlined in the 2021 budget.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed extensions to the furlough scheme, business rates holiday and reduced VAT rate, all of which will help the hospitality industry get back into business as lockdown restrictions ease.

Restart grants of up to £18,000 are available to hotels and other hospitality businesses and planned increases in duty on alcohol have been cancelled for a second successive year.

Raphael Herzog, Chair of the Bristol Hoteliers Association, said his members welcomed the support extensions confirmed by the Chancellor on March 3 but warned that further support may still be needed as the nation slowly returns to normal.

He said: “The budget was satisfactory overall for us.

“It was, of course, a welcome relief when the Chancellor confirmed extensions to the furlough scheme, business rates holiday and VAT reduction.

“But we had hoped that these would remain at their current levels for the next 12 months in order to help us fully recover from the impact of the pandemic.

“We rely on large companies and travel for corporate business and meetings and still have concerns about whether this element of our business will be ready and willing to return to us in September.

“However, we are pleased that the Chancellor has extended the support available, as this will certainly help, and will provide us with some short-term stability and a platform from which we can now prepare to re-open our doors and welcome people back to our businesses, hopefully from 17 May.”

But Mr Herzog warned hotels still had many challenges to face on the road to recovery, not least of which is a potential staff shortage in the sector. He said: “There is a growing number of hospitality businesses which are concerned that they won’t have the resources they need to meet what will hopefully be a high demand for accommodation and services.

“Many businesses have been forced to restructure in order to survive the lockdown, which has inevitably resulted in lower staff members.

“Other staff members who have been concerned about their long-term prospects because of the pandemic have chosen to change careers completely and others have returned to their home countries.

“Changes in immigration rules as a result of Brexit add to the challenge.”

“We know that when restrictions were eased last August, people wasted no time in treating themselves to meals in restaurants, returning to bars and booking breaks in hotels.

“We’re hoping for huge demand for our services from May 17, but there is a question mark over whether the sector will be able to find enough staff to cope with this demand.

“We need to work with the government, colleges and other agencies and organisations to positively promote the many diverse and exciting career opportunities in our sector.

“Prior to the pandemic, there was a widespread chef shortage throughout the sector, and that will not have been helped by the lockdown restrictions and all the uncertainty that it created.

“We need to actively look at ways of attracting more people to our industry so that we are able to meet the huge demands our businesses will face once the lockdown is over.

“One option could be to forge stronger relationships with the many excellent colleges in this country to encourage people at the very beginning of their working lives to seriously consider careers in hospitality.

“But to succeed in that, we’re going to need to find ways of making our sector more attractive, so as well as planning on when we can start re-stocking, we are also all going to have to start working now on positive recruitment strategies.

“The hospitality industry is often seen as a low-wage industry and is therefore less attractive to potential recruits.” In December 2019, the results of a salary survey from 15 of Bristol’s top hotels showed some statistically significant median salary increases in 2019 compared to the previous year.

While that momentum has been halted by the lockdown restrictions, Mr Herzog said it shows that the sector knows what it needs to do – and what it can do – to attract the right calibre of new recruits; hotels just need the financial stability to be able to do it, something that will be helped by this week’s budget.

With reports of mobile speed cameras back in operation never get caught speeding again with this list of sites to expect a mobile speed camera at anytime.

A3029 Winterstoke Road (30mph) A37 Wells Road, Hengrove (30mph) A370 Coronation Road, Southville (30mph) A38 Rupert Street/Bridewell Street/The Haymarket, Bristol (20mph)

A4 Totterdown Bridge (30mph) A4174 Callington Road, Brislington, Bristol (30mph) A4174 King Georges Road, Bristol (30mph) Allison Road, Bristol (30mph) B3119 West Town Lane (20mph) B3122 Redcatch Road, Knowle (20mph) B4466 Jacobs Wells Road, Bristol (20mph)

Bamfield, Hengrove (30mph) Barnstaple Road, Knowle (20mph) Bishport Avenue, Hartcliffe (30mph)

Broadwalk, Knowle West (20mph) Broomhill Road (30mph) Calcott Road, Knowle (20mph) Hazelbury Road, Whitchurch (20mph)

Hengrove Avenue, Hengrove, Bristol (20mph)

Hengrove Lane, Hengrove, Bristol (20mph)

Highbury Road, Bedminster (20mph) Highridge Green, Bristol (30mph) Hollister’s Drive, Hartcliffe (20mph) Hollway Road, Stockwood (20mph) Hungerford Road, Bristol (20mph)

Ladies Mile, Durdham Down (20mph) Ladman Road, Stockwood (20mph)

Marksbury Road, Bedminster (20mph)

Newbridge Road, Bristol (20mph) Novers Hill, Bristol (20mph) Novers Lane, Bristol (20mph)

Petherton Road, Hengrove (20mph) Queen’s Road, Bishopsworth (30mph) Stockwood Lane, nr the sports ground, Stockwood (20mph) Stockwood Lane, nr Whitchurch Village sign, Stockwood (30mph) Stockwood Lane, Stockwood (30mph) Sturminster Road, Stockwood (30mph) Talbot Road, Bristol (20mph) Whitchurch Lane, nr Halfacre Lane (20mph)

Whitchurch Lane, nr Hawkfield Road (20mph) Whitland Road, Bristol (30mph) Wick Road (20mph)

Wingfield Road, Bristol (20mph) Furber Road, Bristol (20mph) Glyn Vale, Knowle (20mph) Hareclive Road, Hartcliffe (30mph) Smyth Road, Ashton (20mph) Somerdale Avenue, Knowle (20mph) South Liberty Lane, Ashton Vale (20mph)

Duckmoor Road, Ashton Gate, Bristol (20mph)

A4 Portway Nr Hung Road (40mph)

A4 Portway Nr Portview Road (30mph)

A4 Portway Nr Roman Way (40mph) A4 Portway Nr Sylvan Way/ Riverleaze (40mph) A4018 Falcondale Road, Westbury on Trym (30mph) A403 St Andrews Road, Avonmouth (40mph) A4162 Sylvan Way/Dingle Road/Canford Lane (30mph) A4174 Ring Road, nr Hicks Gate roundabout (70mph) A432 Downend Road, Fishponds (20mph) A432 Fishponds Road, Easton (20mph)

Ashley Hill, Montpelier (20mph)

Avonmouth Way, Avonmouth (30mph) B4469 Muller Road, Horfield (30mph) Bell Barn Road, Stoke Bishop (20mph)

Bonnington Walk, nr Branwhite Close, Lockleaze (20mph) Julian Road, Sneyd Park (20mph)

Keys Avenue, Horfield (20mph) Hill View, Henleaze (20mph) Romney Avenue, nr Stoke Park Primary School, Lockleaze (20mph) Stoke Hill, Sneyd Park (30mph) Bonnington Walk, nr Wordsworth Road, Lockleaze (20mph) Concorde Drive, Southmead (20mph) Constable Road, nr Crome Road, Lockleaze (20mph) Coombe Lane, Stoke Bishop (20mph)

Eastfield Road, Westbury on Trym (20mph) Furber Road, Bristol (20mph) Glenfrome Road, Eastville (20mph) Gordon Avenue, Bristol (20mph)

Highbury Road, Horfield (20mph)

Ladies Mile, Durdham Down (20mph) Long Cross, Lawrence Weston (30mph)

Merebank Road, Avonmouth (30mph) Portview Road, Shirehampton (20mph) Roman Way, Bristol (20mph) Station Road, Shirehampton (20mph)

Highbury Road, Horfield (20mph) Hill View, Henleaze (20mph)

Kings Weston Lane, Lawrence Weston (30mph) B4052 Ashley Down Road, Bristol (20mph) B4054 Avonmouth Road, Shirehampton (30mph) B4054 Cranbrook Road, Redland (20mph) B4054 Shirehampton Road, Sea Mills (30mph) B4054 Shirehampton Road, Shirehampton Park (30mph) B4055 Station Road, Henbury (20mph) B4057 Knole Lane, Brentry (30mph)

Wellington Hill West, Horfield (30mph) Wellington Hill West, Horfield (30mph)

Wessex Ave, Horfield (20mph)

Please visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk for exact days and placement of a mobile camera site and remember to give yourself plenty of time to plan your journey to avoid rushing to get to a destination thus (Speeding)