UKWA launch ‘Election Manifesto’
Victoria Pittman, Head of Client Services and Business Development at Granby was back at the Houses of Parliament this month, attending a UKWA Parliamentary Reception as the UKWA launch their ‘Election Manifesto.
Parliamentary Reception 23rd April 2024
Last year, Victoria attended a reception in the House of Lords to launch the UK Warehousing Association’s Year of Warehousing. This time around the event was hosted by Ben Everitt MP. He was joined at the podium by Baroness Scott and Greg Smith MP.
What is the UKWA Election Manifesto?
The UKWA manifesto represents an opportunity to understand the challenges facing the warehousing sector. It also looks to hear about the potential solutions from those working within it.
“It is essential that warehousing is no longer overlooked by our government and that we change direction to facilitate a more favourable policy environment for the sector.” Baroness McIntosh of Pickering, Honorary President of the UKWA
The UKWA is calling for a government that promotes and encourages warehousing. Clare Bottle unveiled this list of ‘asks’ at the Year of Warehousing National Conference in March. This called for overdue reform to business rates and urgent improvements to the planning system. It also highlighted the massive untapped potential of rooftop solar power and the need to attract young people into warehousing.
Business Rates
The UKWA has long campaigned that unfair business rates are stifling growth. While retail, hospitality and leisure sectors benefit from 75% business rate relief, no such relief exists for warehousing, despite the critical role it plays in the economy. The UKWA is looking to the Government to reform the business rate valuations system in a way that treats the sector more fairly.
Infrastructure Planning
The UKWA believes policymakers are too focused on planning for housing supply. This is without proper consideration of the benefits of employment and industrial development. Each new home represents a new delivery address, and warehouses are vital for local jobs too.
Currently, 8.4% of the workforce are employed in logistics. Therefore, it is important that warehouses are built in the right place, close to conurbations and freight routes. The UKWA wants any future government to recategorise warehouses as part of national infrastructure, so that local authorities can no longer exclude them from local plans.
Net Zero
Warehousing is crucial to achieving the UK’s net zero commitments through the adoption of rooftop solar. The UKWA’s milestone report on solar power’s findings are well documented but there is still a real risk that warehousing is being overlooked in the net zero energy transformation. The UKWA believes government needs to deliver policies that make installations as commercially viable as possible.
Regulation
The UKWA is calling for wholesale reform of Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), and their regulation by Ofgem. Under the current arrangements DNOs are obstructive, monopolistic, and run-for-profit. This poses challenges for many warehouse operators seeking to improve or develop their energy infrastructure. The UKWA is calling for the government to deliver an environment where obtaining permission for solar projects is quick, fair and easy.
Social Mobility
Warehousing is helping to deliver social mobility across the UK. With job opportunities available for people of all backgrounds. The UKWA says that government needs to be aware of our future skills requirements. It needs to reform apprenticeships and provide better pathways into the sector. The UKWA fully support Generation Logistics. Above all, the UKWA is looking for more focus on the importance of warehousing and logistics to the UK employment market.
The 8 Key Tasks called for in the Manifesto
1: The Cabinet Office
Appoint a cross departmental Logistics Minister. One dedicated to unlocking our sectors potential for driving economic growth across manufacturing, retail, health, automotive, defence and more.
2: Department for Transport
Empower the Connected Places Catapult to promote innovation in warehousing. The Future of Freight Plan, agreed by the Freight Council, sets this out. Continue funding Generation Logistics.
3: Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Establish a successor to the Solar Task Force, to ensure momentum continues with the commercial rooftop initiatives in the Solar Roadmap, decarbonising the electricity network at pace.
4: Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
Reform the planning system to validate the link between industrial land and quality of life. Recognising that sustainable warehouse development meets the needs of workers, consumers and businesses.
5: Department for Education
Modernise apprenticeships by adding the new CPC qualification to the existing L3 standard and allowing the trailblazer group to identify short courses which can be eligible for levy funding.
6: Department for Work & Pensions
Partner with employers in logistics to promote the wide range of high-quality jobs and careers in warehousing; And release funds to pilot sector specific initiatives where skills shortages are acute.
7: Department for Business & Trade
Encourage UK based tech companies to design and manufacture the automated and systemic solutions we need to achieve productivity gains in all the warehouse tasks that support the circular economy.
8: HM Treasury
Restructure the business rate system to provide an equitable regime of caps and reliefs for large buildings. And a simpler process for challenging unfair valuations.
“The event was a huge success, and I get the impression that policy makers are truly willing to listen. The warehousing sector may have had a low profile historically, but that is all changing thanks to the UKWA Year of Warehousing initiative. The UKWA leadership team is doing a fantastic job to raise the profile of our sector, and being able to hold meetings at the heart of policy making is a testament to their dedication.” Victoria Pittman, Head of Client Services / Business Development.
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