UKC

Hi

I've looked across the forums and haven't come across this topic yet so apologies if it's a duplication. Have any clubs with club huts come across the Welsh government consultation on statutory licensing of all visitor accommodation?

The scheme would require visitor accommodation providers to obtain an operating licence for the venue. The licence would come at a cost and would require evidence of meeting certain standards, such as confirmation of insurance, fire risk assessment and gas safety certificate.  Further evidence could include confirmation of appropriate planning permission being in place, proof of electrical safety, proof of water safety, (if private supply) and/or Food Hygiene rating (if serving food)). 

The implications for operators of club huts could be significant, given the rustic nature and volunteer operation of climbing huts, and also the modest income they generate as assets of non-profit organisations. I would urge any club members to forward this information to their committee/hut wardens ASAP.

The closure date for responses to the consultation is next Friday 17th March.

https://www.gov.wales/statutory-licensing-scheme-all-visitor-accommodation-...

Regards

Rob Powell

Secretary

Lancashire Climbing & Caving Club

Surely any club hut that's being let out should have all of the above certificates or they're leaving themselves open to some serious issues if something were to go wrong.

I know for a fact that the hut belonging to the club I'm involved in does.

Yes it's an expense but you really can't go letting a property out without these basic checks and it's not like you have to do every check every year, although if it's anything like the rules around private rentals in Wales the frequency will likely increase beyond what is required elsewhere.

There's a BMC webinar/discussion on this on Monday night. Personally I don't see it as too much of an issue, and can't really formulate any sensible arguments for club huts being treated differently to other accommodation there, but I'd be interested if anyone has any to offer.

Usual caveat about no legal training but club members might be treated as property owners and hence their use being  private .

Some clubs class guests as temporary members for the duration of their stay, perhaps for this reason.

Thanks Rick - very useful. I'll take a look into whether that is the status for ours. I must confess that I'd only looked at it from the perspective of other clubs booking and using our hut, rather than the members' use of it.

I hadn't seen anything on their website, do I just need to look harder?

It's been organised by the guy that runs the West Midlands club's forum, so I'll ask him if he's happy for the link to be shared more widely.

It'd arguably be more of an issue for bothies, though presumably what it's really aimed at is crap Airbnbs.

Most bothies I've been to haven't had, gas, electric or running water so that cuts out a few certificates. Planning permission, insurance and fire safety are probably quite difficult to sort in these cases.

We propose that all types of visitor accommodation are included within this scheme, which we define as: “A room, group of rooms, structure or building, plot of land for siting of temporary transient accommodation, temporary or transient accommodation (caravan, motorhome, tent, or other temporary structure), or boat which is not a person’s fixed address and for which payment is made or any other benefit exchanged”.

As a key feature of bothies is the lack of payment I'd read them as being outside the scope of the licencing system.

Ah, that's good news.

Lukewarm response from the Welsh Tourism Alliance -

https://www.wta.org.uk/news

I’ve had confirmation from the meeting organiser that they’re happy for the link to be shared so here it is for 19.30 on Monday https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus05web....

The meeting is only for clubs that have huts in Wales, as the consultation is the only topic on the agenda.