.HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION. HRA ON TOUR – ROMNEY HYTHE AND DYMCHURCH RAILWAY – 17th September 2016 Photo Nigel Hunt SIDELINES 147 OCTOBER 2016 HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 147 2 of 17 .HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION. SIDELINES 147 21ST OCTOBER 2016 Members’ Website www.hra.uk.com Public Website www.heritagerailways.com Tel 0800 756 5111 ext. 702 10, Hurdeswell, Tel/Fax 01993 883384 Long Hanborough, [email protected] Witney, (for Sidelines contributions) Oxfordshire. OX29 8DH DETAILS OF HRA DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS ARE LISTED IN THE MEMBERS’ HANDBOOK ON THE MEMBERS’ WEBSITE. SIDELINES AND BROADLINES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOADING www.hra.uk.com LOOK IN HRA DOCUMENTS Correspondence and initial enquiries to: Andrew Goyns, 28 George Street, Altofts, Normanton, West Yorkshire WF6 2LT Tel: 0800 756 5111 x 320 Fax: 0845 528 0775 Email: [email protected] INDEX SIDELINES 147 1/ GUIDANCE ON SHUNTING. 2/ HRA NOVEMBER SEMINAR & MEETINGS IN CREWE 3/ BREXIT - NEXT STEPS. 4/ RATES. Register now for your draft rateable value reminder 5/ RATES New Rating List Published. 6a/ THE HERITAGE ALLIANCE - BREXIT. 6b/ GIVING TO HERITAGE. 7/ TOOLKIT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. 8/ MENTORING COURSES. 9/ FUNDING TO BOOST VOLUNTEERING AMONG OVER 50S. 10/ NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR THE 2016 HRA AWARDS. 11/ CARRIAGE AND WAGON COMPETITION – possible non-arrival of entries. 12/ NATIONAL RAILWAY HERITAGE AWARDS 2016. 13/ HOPS. 14/ ROAD-RAIL VEHICLE USER GROUP (for Heritage Railways). 15/ HRA RALWAY GUIDE. 16/ HERITAGE RAILWAY TRUST ANNUAL REPORT. 17a/ SCOTTISH NEWS. STORIES, STONES AND BONES | HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND 17b/ SCOTTISH NEWS. TALK FROM SCOTTISH TOURISM ALLIANCE. 18/ PETER’S RAILWAY ENGINEER’S CENTRES. 19/ HRA ON TOUR – SEPTEMBER WEEKEND MEETING 2016 20/ BRAKEBLOCK FOR SR BRAKEVAN. HRA NOVEMBER VOLUNTEER SEMINAR AND GENERAL MEETING & FORUM PAGES 15 & 16 HRA CALENDAR PAGE 17 HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 147 3 of 17 OPERATING AND SAFETY 1/ GUIDANCE ON SHUNTING. Our Guidance Note on Shunting, including Coupling & Uncoupling was updated in May 2015. I have supplied a number of members with the updated document following specific queries but did not update it on our website, for which I apologise. The current document (HGR-A0052-Is02 - Shunting-incl Coupling & Uncoupling) is now on our website, please consider it carefully. It replaces (HGR-P0014-Is01 - Shunting: including Coupling & Uncoupling) which has now been deleted. Bill Hillier, Chairman of the Operating & Safety Committee. Email [email protected] Tel. 0800 756 5111 Extn 431. GENERAL NOTES. 2/ HRA NOVEMBER SEMINAR ON VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT, TRAINING AND RETENTION ON 8th NOVEMBER AND THE GENERAL MEETING AND MANAGEMENT FORUM 9th NOVEMBER. Details of these events in Crewe are given on pages 15 & 16 3/ BREXIT - NEXT STEPS. Three months have passed since the UK's EU referendum. The reactions it has prompted remain mixed. The HRA is already moving to help with the challenges of Brexit. It is still very early days, but some key matters are becoming clear, and are key priorities for the Board of Directors. Mark Smith is already exploring ways that we can respond to the following issues. 1. Identifying legislation that members wish to retain or amend or remove, so that we can lobby strongly to ensure that our voices are heard. 2. Determining whether any grant funding previously from the EU is not being fully replaced by the UK government, and supporting members with any potential resulting difficulties. Mark will also be asking members to share their views on the way Brexit will affect those things that are working well for them, and not so well, in terms of day-to-day operations and in forward planning. This will enable us to formulate any further action required. We understand that both the ORR and RAIB expect little change for our sector, in terms of legislation and their responsibilities. But in addition to railway-specific matters our businesses are also affected by workshop, retail, catering, offices, banking and employment regulations, to list but a few. On these matters and other non-railway legislation, we are already working with such bodies as Tourism Alliance and Scottish Tourism Alliance in order to discover expected, or indeed wished-for, changes, and how to react. We are encouraging members to develop relationships with their constituency MPs, and to lobby them with any views. The HRA itself is also able to speak directly to government, most notably through the All Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail. The APPG and the HRA work closely together, and are effective in raising the issues that matter to heritage railways, museums and tramways. Those are some of the things the HRA is already doing, on behalf of its members. Some issues are about detailed aspects of legislation. Some are about policy such as grant funding. In the meantime, it's important to keep a focus on running safe, profitable organisations that welcome visitors with a big smile and a positive outlook. HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 147 4 of 17 Informal feedback suggests that our sector is currently experiencing mixed fortunes. Some members are reporting increases in revenue and visitor numbers. Some are seeing less or no growth. The everyday challenges of running heritage rail will continue to demand your attention. Wider issues, such as young people's employment, or the future of coal, are still on the agenda, and the HRA will continue to work on those issues on your behalf. Europe aside, our sector will always need to compete with other leisure attractions. That's something we do extremely well. I very much hope that recent uncertainties won't diminish the energy, enthusiasm and professionalism for which the UK's heritage railways are so well-known. Brian Simpson HRA Chairman. 4/ RATES. Pay business rates on your Railway or museum? Register now for your draft rateable value reminder Any member who pays business rates can now register online with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to get a reminder email when their new draft rateable value is published. The VOA is currently updating the rateable values of all non-domestic properties in England and Wales. These new rateable values are then used by local authorities to calculate business rates bills from next April. Anyone who signs up will receive a reminder in the autumn, letting them know they can check their draft rateable value online. The email reminder will also have a link for ratepayers to amend their property details online, if necessary. Ratepayers can go to www.gov.uk/voa/revaluation and sign up to the free reminder service. Mark L Smith 5/ RATES New Rating List Published. Roger Wilkins FRICS, acts as our Hon Rating Advisor, and is keen to collate information with regards to the new rating assessments which have been published, and is also keen to know of which professional advisors are being used – if any – by heritage railways. As he is mainly retired, he is keen to stress that he is not seeking to carry out any professional work on a paid basis for heritage railways, so is NOT seeking work for himself, but does act for the Severn Valley Railway, on a voluntary basis, and has advised other railways in the past when working full time. There has, in the past, been a good dialogue with the Valuation Office on a national basis, and it is felt important that this continues. There are also many dubious rating appeal firms in existence, and getting the right advice, and a consistent approach across the sector, is vital if we are to keep our overheads as low as possible. Many will be shocked by huge increases which have been published, but a brief background may help. A Lands Tribunal case in 1984 involving the Bluebell Railway confirmed that heritage railways are subject to business rates. These are charged at the business rate in the £1 for each year, being a set proportion of the rateable value. Those rateable values should be re-assessed every five years, but the government postponed the revaluation for two years (for reasons open to some speculation!), and they should have been changed two years ago. The new list, just published, comes into force in April of next year. Most business premises are assessed on the assumed rental value two years prior to the new list coming into place. Given that such evidence is impossible in most of our cases, the values have been assessed on a “Receipts and Expenditure” method. This is a rather complex system, but it really boils down to an approximate percentage of turnover, adjusted so that the lines with heavy overheads and risks pay a much lower percentage than the more highly profitable and commercial ones. It appears that the major changes in the published values follow the changes in turnover, and appeals are most likely to succeed where there is an inconsistency in approach, or where the facts have not been correctly interpreted. It is a sad fact that, where the turnover has increased substantially, the rateable value will be going up too, but if there are errors, they do need to be addressed. Railways which have charitable status do, of course, receive some relief. HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 147 5 of 17 There have, in the past, been transitional arrangements, so the full effect of increases have been phased over a period of years. The transitional relief arrangements will be published in January 2017. Roger asks that, if possible, he be emailed with details of assessments and any advisors. He will seek a meeting with the relevant senior Valuation Officers, as has happened in the past, to try and co- ordinate a national response, if it is felt necessary.