Руководство туристической индустрии Херефордшира призывает малый бизнес получить помощь в соблюдении норм пожарной безопасности

Herefordshire’s many small guest businesses should seek help in order not to fall foul of fire safety standards, which can be costly to meet, a senior figure in the county’s tourism economy has urged. In the latest of several similar cases, owners of the Crown, a historic coaching inn in Whitchurch near Ross-on-Wye, said this month the £25,000 they had been quoted to install fire safety equipment that would satisfy officials had left them questioning whether letting rooms was worth it. Diane Mansell, chief executive of Herefordshire County BID (business improvement district) and the Visit Herefordshire LVEP (local visitor economy partnership), said there was “a small but growing number of cases in Herefordshire where independent pubs and accommodation businesses have faced difficulties in bringing older premises up to current fire safety standards” – though exact figures on this were unavailable. RELATED NEWS : - The Crown at Whitchurch faces huge cost of making rooms fire-safe - Wellington Inn hit with prohibition notice by fire service - Harewood End Inn, Herefordshire, fire prohibition notice Overall though, the partnership’s latest figures show 267 “serviced accommodation businesses” in the county providing an estimated 4,469 guest beds – of which 218, accounting for two-fifths of the beds total, had fewer than ten rooms each. “These smaller operators are an important part of Herefordshire’s visitor offer, particularly in rural communities,” Ms Mansell said. She stressed: “Fire safety and guest protection must remain the priority, and accommodation businesses are legally required to have a recorded fire risk assessment and appropriate safety measures in place. What are your thoughts? You can send a letter to the editor to have your say by clicking here. Letters should not exceed 250 words and local issues take precedence. “But improvement costs can be extremely difficult for small, independently owned businesses to absorb, particularly in older or historic buildings.” Where this leads to owners abandoning letting rooms, “that will reduce local accommodation capacity” – though the extent of this is hard to measure. Meanwhile Visit Herefordshire’s Destination Management Plan aims to boost small-scale accommodation in the county’s pubs and restaurants. OTHER NEWS : - Owner fights on to convert 'failed' pub - New café/bar and 'social hub' cleared to open - but there's a catch - Hereford councillor rapped over 'brutal and threatening' email “It will be important for any future work to consider not only new provision, but the risk of losing existing rooms from the market,” Ms Mansell said. “There needs to be a constructive approach which protects guests while also helping rural businesses understand the requirements, access competent advice and explore solutions appropriate to their premises.” Visit Herefordshire is preparing a guide to support businesses on the issue, she added, and continues to signpost owners to guidance and training, while also “raising sector concerns with the relevant partners”.