Glenn Evans Chairman
Destination Dilemma’s Exploring Tourism Issues
in Wales
Uniqueness of Managing a Key Tourism Destination Destination Dilemma’s
Marc Fletcher Senior Surveyor – Mostyn Estates
UNIQUENESS OF MANAGING A KEY TOURISM DESTINATION
MARC FLETCHER BA MSc MRICS, SENIOR SURVEYOR, MOSTYN ESTATES
Overview of Issues Destination Dilemma’s
George Reid Chair – Southwest Wales Regional Tourism Forum
GDP - Per Capita – Home Nations
Public / Private Average Wage UK
• Private Sector - £34,217
• Public Sector - £36,708
182 Threshold Destination Dilemma’s
Alistair Handyside Chair, PASC
What we will cover today…
• PASC UK CYMRU
• who are we?
• how we work
• PASC UK CURRENT POLICIES OVERVIEW
• Q&A
PASC UK – who are we?
• Membership organisation representing the Self-Catering Sector in the UK
• Recognised by the Governments of England and Wales as the lead selfcatering association in UK
• Consulted on key legislative changes in England and Wales
• 2000+ Members – the largest representation of our sector
• 400+ Members in Wales
• Representing 125,000 properties
…some of the largest agencies to some of the smallest independents
Current Active Policies for PASC UK
Cymru
• 182 Day Threshold for Business Rates
• Statutory Registration/Licensing Scheme
• Tourism Levy
• Planning Changes, Article 4
• Valuation Office
• Waste Regulations
• Changes to School Holidays???
PASC UK – How we work?
Working with the sector to try to make the best of what can through:
• Collaboration
• working together with other tourism organisations to ensure our voice is heard e.g. WTA, FORA, UKH Cymru, Tourism Boards / DMOs (e.g. North Wales Tourism), NFU, CLA and many more….
• Valid data – using real data to support our ‘argument’
• Working to find solutions – not just objections
• Cumulative Impact Assessment
• Unintended consequences of the cumulative impact
• Other – increase membership base – to enable more activity
182 Days – What is it?
• Council Tax or Business Rates?
• Threshold for Business Rates:
• available for let 252 nights per year
• let for 182 nights per year
• If not, Council Tax Premiums apply
• 50-300% premium (in addition to normal council tax)
• Only 1 exemption – where you have a planning restriction for holiday accommodation.
182 Days – Our approach
PASC UK Cymru don’t support this threshold and continue to lobby against it.
In the meantime, our approach is to:
• Apply more exemptions: examples as follows……
• Business Closure:
• Improvements eg Carbon neutral
• Serious illness
• Serious maintenance issue eg fire, flood
• Farm diversification
• Unsuitable for permanent occupation
• Annexe
• Alternative accommodation eg Shepherd’s hut, Yurt
• Large resorts / complexes
• VAT registered businesses
182 Days – What are we doing?
•Data collation to evidence our argument
•Business Impact Study (1500 respondees) PASC UK/WTA/UKH Cymru Wales August 2023 (largest S/C only survey in Wales)
•Freedom of Information (FOI) Request: Utilisation of powers under section 13A (1)C of the LGA Finance Act 1992 by Welsh Local Authorities
•‘Body of Evidence’ Document, press campaign, lobbying MSs, Evidence to Cross Party Hospitality Group and more…
•Currently gathering a 2024 Body of Evidence, booking trends, Surveys, property sales, hardships case studies etc…
•Plus we are now facing economic factors e.g, Cost of Living Crisis, Weather
•We can work with the Valuation Office (England and Wales)
•secured a 35% reduction in rateable values for self-catering
•Consulting on VO6048
•Constant Lobbying – Writing to and Meeting with officials, MPs, MSs, Councillors
•Prepare Advisory papers / reports / Guidance Notes
•Delivered our ‘manifesto’ this week calling for …
•a 182 review
•Further exemptions
Open the floor… Q&A
Workplace Recycling Destination Dilemma’s
Anglesey Sea Zoo and Marine Research Centre
All info available on this website:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/single-use-plastics-bansand-restrictions
Data
collection & evidence
Environmental Hub for community beach cleans
Data collection – several times a year
Public engagement
Data goes towards global
Beachwatch database co-ordinated by MCS
The problem with SUPs
Changing behaviour through engagement
Responsibility as business owners
New law in Wales on Workplace Recycling since April 2024
• All businesses, charities and public sector organisations to sort their waste for recycling.
• It applies to all waste and recycling collectors and processors who manage household-like waste from workplaces.
The new law applies to:
• All businesses, charities and public sector organisations including hospitality and tourism - restaurants, bars, pubs, bed and breakfasts, hotels, campsites and caravan parks, holiday accommodation, and licensed premises
All info available on this website: https://www.gov.wales/workplace-recycling
New Wales law since April 2024
The following materials should be separated for collection, and collected separately:
• Food - only for premises that produce more than 5kg of food waste a week
• Paper and card
• Glass
• Metal, plastic and cartons and other similar packaging (for example coffee cups)
• Unsold textiles
• Unsold small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE)
There is also a ban on:
• Sending food waste to sewer (any amount)
• Separately collected waste going to incineration and landfill
• All wood waste going to landfill
• You can mix paper and card together in the same container, and you can mix metal, plastic, and cartons together.
New Wales law since April 2024
For all workplaces that produce and handle food waste
The law is to separate and recycle food waste. This applies to any premises that produce over 5kg of food waste per week, such as:
• hotels
• restaurants
• cafés
• takeaways
• catering businesses (including those at events such as food stalls),
• shopping centre food courts
• canteens
• pubs
• offices with canteens, cafes or staff kitchen facilities
• schools, colleges, prisons, nursing homes and hospitals
• any other workplaces that serve food
• If you produce any food waste you will not be allowed to put it down the sink, or drain into a public drain or sewer.
• This includes using macerators (or similar technologies such as enzyme digestors or de-waterers) to get rid of food waste down the sink to a drain or sewer.
How the law will be enforced
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is responsible for making sure that materials are being separated and collected correctly, and that the ban on recycling going to incineration and landfill is being followed.
Local authorities are responsible for making sure the ban on food waste going to sewer is followed.
If you do not comply with the law, it could mean a fine for your workplace.
The solution: Process management REDUCE
♻ RE-USE ♻ RECYCLE
Solution: Reduce recycling & waste
Composting
Reduce packaging
Re-use where possible
Refill scheme
Reduces waste
Good for branding
High initial investment cost – 80K
Long term cost saving in reduced waste
Good for PR
Leading by example
Better overall visitor experience
More visitors, happier visitors, more engaged visitors
Increased community spirit and support
More people collaboratively working towards a Net Zero future
2 free water refill stations
Branded Refillables & reusables
Immediate Action
Contact your suppliers
Contact your waste collectors
Costing analysis
Employ / enroll / engage staff in waste sorting and data collection
Introduce internal and external sorting of customer waste https://www.gov.wales/workplace-recycling
Benefits of Arts in Business
North Wales Partnerships Director, Arts & Business Cymru
Sian Humpherson
Group Business Development Manager
Snowdonia Hospitality & Leisure
Helping to make businesses stronger through arts partnership tailored to individual need. Addressing:
Marketing
Corporate Social Responsibility
Staff Training & Development
Cai Ross Paysanne Restaurant North Wales Fish & Seafood
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