Annual Trade Forum and Conference 2024 by Go North Wales

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

Frankie Hobro

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.