Farmers and landowners may be allowed to double in the length of time they can host popup campsites without planning permission, under a government consultation that aims to boost rural tourism.
The move, capped at 30 tents and requiring some facilities, would echo a temporary dispensation introduced in 2020 and 2021 to help countryside businesses recover from the pandemic.
The consultation will also look into how limitations could be amended to help support the use of solar power.
This includes a proposed new PD right for solar canopies which would allow for canopies up to 4 metres high in ground-level off-street vehicle parking in non-domestic settings.
The NFU will be submitting a response on behalf of members, focusing on both the changes to temporary campsite rules and the new and existing PD rights for solar canopies and equipment.
NFU Chief Renewable Energy and Climate Change adviser Jonathan Scurlock highlighted that whilst the proposals for PD rights for rooftop solar are already generous, the new right for non-domestic solar canopies could allow members to make good use of yard space, supporting future needs for electric vehicle charging.
However, the NFU’s Chief Land Management Adviser Sam Durham said: “While measures to help the rural economy capitalise on its potential are to be applauded, the proposals need to be considered in the wider context of competition for agricultural land use.
“There is also a potential clash with eligibility for future agri-environment schemes and BPS, and a possible risk of losing agricultural land status through material land use change, which is difficult to reverse once lost. All of that would need to be factored into decisions, should these proposals be adopted.”
Contact sam.durham@nfu.org.uk to express views on temporary campsite rules and jonathan.scurlock@nfu.org.uk for views on rights for solar development.
Farmers could benefit from changed rules on camping and solar canopies
Britain needs a more flexible route for EU sub-contractors, says Bridlington firm
Recommendations by the Construction Leadership Council intended to help businesses access the points-based immigration system will do little or nothing to address the industry’s skills shortage, says Bridlington-based Hudson Contract.
Hudson Contract MD Ian Anfield says the government intervention requested by the CLC will do little to solve the problem. “It has let the government off the hook by adding a few more builders to the shortage occupation list. The list means nothing to most employers or the skilled EU subbies they would like to be able to use.
“Most construction work in the UK is carried out by smaller specialist subcontractors which do not have the resources or the security of workflow to overcome the cost, risk and bureaucracy of the points-based immigration system. Becoming a sponsor, recruiting PAYE employees from abroad and monitoring those employees to make sure they comply with their visas is a non-starter.
“Moving specific trades from the skilled worker list to the shortage of occupation list does nothing apart from drop the minimum rate of pay an employer can offer from £25k to £20k. But given skilled EU operatives can earn double that, the figures are meaningless.
“The danger here is that as well as letting the government off the hook, this move could encourage the use of cheap exploited migrant workers from further afield – and that would be no good for anyone.
“Our clients tell us they want easy access to the highly skilled self-employed EU workforce they had before.
“We would urge the government to use CIS as the tool to reopen this labour market for them.
“Despite what some believe, CIS is not compatible with the current points-based immigration system: the choice is PAYE with all its cost and complexity or nothing. A new higher CIS deduction rate could be applied to overseas workers to ensure compliance with visas. Temporary skilled workers could be overtaxed with returns paid when they leave.”
Croda International names new non-exec director to start next month
Snaith-based Croda International has appointed Chris Good as non-executive director, and he will take up the position on April 27th.
He has spent his career in the consumer care industry, and recently retired after more than 20 years at Estee Lauder Companies, with the last five years as Group President of North America (Estee Lauder Companies’ home market) with responsibility for over 25 brands. Chris was also a member of Estee Lauder Companies’ Executive Committee.
Before that he spent over 10 years at Unilever in senior marketing, executive and general management roles across Europe, North America and Asia.
On joining the Croda Board, Chris will also be appointed to the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees.
Dame Anita Frew, Chair of Croda International Plc, said: “Chris’s deep understanding of the consumer care industry and in particular his insights into beauty care markets and consumers will be of great value to Croda and the Board. As well as having significant P&L experience, Chris also brings a truly international perspective to the Board, having lived and worked in the USA, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Russia and the UK with region wide responsibilities for EMEA, APAC and North America during his successful executive career.
“His appointment strengthens the consumer care knowledge and experience we have around the Board table, which will support our continued transition to a pure play Consumer Care and Life Sciences business.”
Data mapping company product will shape health care delivery
Data mapping company Parallel, part of the Hull-based Sewell Group, has developed a platform to host and analyse a national primary care database on behalf of NHSE.
It’s called Shape, and has been enhanced to display information about primary care services and the current estate available to help inform decision making and drive efficiencies for future delivery.
The NHS England General Practice Premises Policy Review 2019 identified the need for a more comprehensive primary care data set to support integrated clinical services and estates planning.
Parallel’s data mapping tool, SHAPE, was used to aid understanding of the current estate available within primary care that could be used to deliver services, the quality of the estate and how it was being utilised.
Jon Murphy of the NHS England Estates Directorate said:“SHAPE is enabling a data-driven approach to primary care estates planning. Having all of the estates and workforce information in one place, alongside easy to use analysis tools, is helping systems understand current capacity and how buildings could be best utilised to support future service demand.”
SHAPE can show information such as NHS boundaries, practice list sizes, contract information and dispensing information, as well as population demographics and projections, deprivation, and disease prevalence to help give PCNs and ICBs a holistic view of their areas. Users can drill down to PCN or even practice level to better understand their estate, overlaid with patient, workforce and other health projection information to understand where demand for services is currently and could be in the future.
New use for worthless wool could protect against flooding and increase hill farmer income
Director appointment for Leeds-headquartered Northern Accountants
Northern Accountants — a 25 strong practice with offices in Liverpool, Hull and its Leeds HQ — has announced the appointment of a new director.
29-year old Mark Alderson has been awarded an internal promotion to the board, six months after joining t the award-winning business.
Having joined the firm as senior client manager in Q3 of 2022 — after spending 11 years with a boutique accountancy practice in the Yorkshire Dales — Mark has quickly demonstrated his ability to add value to clients’ organisations.
So — in the year Northern Accountants celebrates its 15th anniversary — he has been promoted to this leadership role, for the benefit of the business and customers’ alike.
The move follows Northern Accountants’ acquisition of two other firms last year, which extended the team’s geographical reach to the western tip of the M62 and strengthened its presence in Hull.
Mark’s directorship also coincides with the definition of additional internal structure, which sees Anelya Tucker promoted to client manager and head of the newly-formed business division. Under her steer, this fresh department — which currently includes 350 organisations — is dedicated to the provision of agile accountancy support and guidance, for more autonomous customers.
“Some clients come to us because we can fulfil all their financial needs, with analysts and advisors on hand to drive business growth strategies too,” explained founding managing director Phil Ellerby. “This is where Mark excels, alongside Ricky Field who was appointed as our Hull director last year. They look beyond the numbers alone, to uncover other factors that can become real enablers of business success.
“Other clients don’t require that level of support, but the quality of service should still be stellar — that’s what Anelya ensures, as we continue to grow. It means we can efficiently take on more and more clients in this division too.”
RR Engineering becomes employee owned
Azets, the Top Ten UK Accountancy firm, has advised RR Engineering Ltd on becoming employee owned.
RR Engineering, based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was set up over thirty years ago by Roy Hendry and Russell Beck. They are handing over 100% of the business to their employees. Karen Bulman, Jamie Thompson, Matthew Taylor and Jamie Dixon will take over the day to day running of RR Engineering.
Since its formation in 1990, RR Engineering has established itself as a leading provider of high-quality products to a range of industries throughout the UK. Standing within a 25000 sq. ft. site, on Eastfield Industrial Estate in Scarborough, RR Engineering offers a complete service from large contracts to small bespoke orders, meeting customers exact requirements.
The company provides sheet metal fabrication and design services working with stainless and mild steel, aluminium and specialised materials using state of the art machinery.
Roy Hendry & Russell Beck, Joint Managing Directors are transferring 100% of their shares to the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) for the benefit of all its employees. Under the move, all employees will benefit financially from the future success of the company.
Roy Hendry & Russell Beck, Joint Managing Directors, RR Engineering said: “It’s such a proud moment to be able to hand over RR Engineering. Selling the company we founded to our employees through the creation of the EOT ensures the stability of the business for the long-term and supports our desire for further continued growth.
This move recognises the value that our fantastic team has delivered over the years, and it is a very exciting opportunity for each individual to take a pivotal role as the businesses progress. We’d like to wish Karen Bulman, Jamie Thompson, Matthew Taylor and Jamie Dixon all the best in their new leadership roles. Creating a great place to work has always been fundamental to our business principles, and we’re very excited about the next stage of the journey.”
RR Engineering was advised by Tariq Javaid, Corporate Finance Partner, Richard Weston, Corporate Finance Manager and Karen Sadler, Senior Tax Manager at Azets. Legal advice was provided by Chris Blantern at Tyr Law and Adrian Ballam at Ward Hadaway.
Tariq Javaid, Corporate Finance Partner at Azets said: “RR Engineering is a business exceptionally well-suited for employee ownership, being an organisation with a strong culture, firmly established values, and an emphasis on the quality of its products and its people. It has been a privilege to work with Russ, Roy and the team in assisting them with this transition and I am confident that the company has a bright future as an employee-owned business”.
‘’Azets advised on 6 EOTs in Yorkshire in 2022 and we’ve already got several more in the pipeline this year. They are an increasingly popular option for the transition of ownership, given the wide range of benefits they can provide to the business, its owners and employees.”
New council promises to boost North Yorkshire businesses by promoting tourism
A strategy to promote tourism and to on world-famous heritage and culture is aiming to drive forward North Yorkshire’s economy and help support thousands of businesses.
Already worth £1.5 billion a year from domestic visitors, tourism accounts for 11% of the county’s overall economy, and employs 41,200 workers, the visitor economy is a pillar of North Yorkshire’s economic prosperity.
The new North Yorkshire Council, which launches on Saturday, will be instrumental in providing a co-ordinated county-wide plan to promote the visitor economy, while also ensuring the industry is centred around environmentally-friendly business growth.
Council leader Carl Les, who will assume the leadership of the new authority, said: “By having one council we can join up and strengthen North Yorkshire’s cultural offer, lobby for a greater share of funding for arts and culture here and support a year-round visitor economy.
“The new council will build on the globally recognised brand of North Yorkshire, advocating for the best possible opportunities for residents and businesses, while protecting and enhancing our landscapes and heritage.”
The new council will launch when North Yorkshire County Council and the existing seven district and borough authorities, which are currently responsible for promoting tourism, merge in the biggest shake-up of local government since 1974 to pave the way for a devolution deal.
Talks are already under way with politicians and other councils across Yorkshire after the Government announced in November that a national overhaul of destination management organisations, which promote tourism, will take place.
The new council will be engaging with businesses, business networks and the leisure, culture and tourism sectors in the county in the coming weeks to help develop a strong partnership.
Other schemes which will be overseen by North Yorkshire Council include work on High Street Heritage Action Zones in Northallerton, Selby and Skipton. These projects have unlocked more than £2 million in funding from the Government via Historic England to deliver a range of heritage, art and community projects, including engaging with young people through a digital recreation of Selby Abbey using Minecraft and a community and heritage hub on Northallerton’s High Street.
Cllr Les said: “We want to strengthen our tourist and cultural offer, by ensuring there are year-round attractions, and increase visitor spend.
“North Yorkshire Council will have a strong voice and will work with the county’s six MPs to ensure that the Government understands and acts on the issues that affect residents and businesses here.
“Via devolution, we will have a real opportunity to lobby the Government to ensure North Yorkshire enjoys the benefits seen in urban areas, which have mayoral-led combined authorities.”
Rule change aims to enhance safety for whistleblowers
A review of the whistleblowing framework – the laws that support workers who blow the whistle on wrongdoing in the workplace – has been launched by the Government today.
The review will seek views and evidence from whistleblowers, key charities, employers and regulators.
Whistleblowing refers to when a worker makes a disclosure of information which they reasonably believe shows wrongdoing or someone covering up wrongdoing. Workers who blow the whistle are entitled to protections, which were introduced through the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA). Successive governments have taken steps to strengthen whistleblowing policy and practice.
For authorities tackling corruption, fraud and other economic crime, whistleblowing is a crucial source of evidence, as these activities and their perpetrators can only be exposed by insiders.
It also provides a route for employees to report unsafe working conditions and wrongdoing across all sectors.
This was keenly felt during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, when the Care Quality Commission and Health and Safety Executive recorded sharp increases in the number of whistleblowing disclosures they received.
Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:”Whistleblowing is a vital tool in tackling economic crime and unsafe working conditions, and the UK was one of the first countries in the world to develop a whistleblowing framework.
“This review has been a priority for me since joining government, and it will take stock of whether the whistleblowing framework is operating effectively and protects those who call out wrongdoing in the workplace.”
This review will cover central topics, key to the whistleblowing framework:- who is covered by whistleblowing protections.
- the availability of information and guidance for whistleblowing purposes (both on gov.uk and that provided by employers).
- how employers and prescribed persons respond to whistleblowing disclosures, including best practice.
Yorkshire Building Society signs pledge for responsible banking
Yorkshire Building Society has become an official signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking – a single framework for a sustainable banking industry.
The mutual has committed to identify and measure environmental and social impacts of its business activities, set and implement targets where it has the most impact and regularly report publicly on its progress.
Developed through a partnership between banks worldwide and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), the Principles ensure banks and building societies’ strategy and practice align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.
In signing the Principles, the Society joins the world’s largest global banking community focused on sustainable finance, sharing best-practice and working together on practical guidance and pioneering tools of benefit to the entire industry at a time when action is urgently needed to address the major planetary crises of climate change, nature loss, pollution and social issues.
Susan Allen, chief executive at Yorkshire Building Society, said: “We’re committed to being a responsible business and playing our part in building a greener society. We want to ensure a better future for our members – providing practical support for the local communities we serve. Becoming a signatory of the Principles reaffirms this and underlines our drive to ensure a more positive tomorrow.
“Working with fellow responsible banks and building societies we aim to accelerate the changes necessary to create a better future for all.”
