Essential overnight resurfacing work on Railway Road in King’s Lynn, from Blackfriars Street to Wellesley Street, will start at 8pm on Friday 10 April.
The work is part of Norfolk County Council’s surfacing programme but to reduce overall disruption it is being tied in with current works in and around the bus station as part of the King’s Lynn Transport Interchange project. The resurfacing will include a section originally planned for next year so that we do not need to return to site and disrupt traffic again. To finish the work as quickly as possible and with the least amount of disruption, road closures will be used on five nights at the following times:
Friday 10 April and Saturday 11 April, 8pm to around 2.30am.
Monday 13 April, Tuesday 14 April and Wednesday 15 April, 8pm to around midnight.
No works are planned on the evening of Sunday 12 April.
Norfolk County Council have advised that although closing the road will mean major overnight diversions for drivers, it will reduce the time on site and avoid impact on daytime traffic. Signs will direct drivers around the closure and to reach side roads affected, including Waterloo Street, Portland Street, Wellesley Road, Norfolk Street, Old Sunway, Albion Street and Old Market Street.
Buses On the evenings Railway Road is closed no buses will use the bus station or Portland Street after 8pm. Instead, all buses will drop off and pick up at the layby outside the railway station on Blackfriars Road. Arrival and departure times are likely to be a few minutes later than normal.
AA patrols will continue to help key workers and those who need to travel during lockdown, but many vehicle owners will be preparing for another month off the road, this time in colder conditions.
Ben Sheridan, AA Patrol of the Year, gives his top tips on maintaining your vehicles through lockdown:
If being used occasionally:
If vehicles are likely to be used for occasional essential journeys, you’ll want to know that they are ready when needed.
One of the key things to look out for is the battery. There is more demand on car batteries during winter with increased use of lights, wipers and heating. The age of the battery, how the vehicle has been used and the cold temperatures all affect performance.
You can help keep batteries in good working order by using a mains-powered battery maintainer or, if this isn’t possible, starting the engine once a week and allowing it to run for at least 15 minutes to give the battery time to charge.
Most modern vehicles with a fairly healthy battery should last at least two weeks without needing to be started up, but if there’s any doubt about the condition of the battery, start it once a week just to be safe.
If your vehicles are garaged, remember to pull them out into the open first; don’t run the engine inside a garage, and never leave a vehicle unattended with the engine running.
If not being used at all
If you’re locking your vehicles up for the month or even further into winter, there are steps you can take now to see them through the period of disuse; known as laying-up.
If a vehicle is kept off the road and isn’t being used at all, you may be able to make a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).
Before parking up, it’s a good idea to top up with fuel. A full tank doesn’t attract condensation, which could cause issues if allowed to build up over time.
Electric and hybrid vehicles have 12-volt batteries, the same as conventional cars. However, they charge differently.
Pressing the start button so the ‘ready’ light comes on will operate the charging system. Putting the vehicle into ‘ready’ mode for 10 minutes once a week should keep the 12-volt battery topped up.
Some electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles can maintain their 12-volt batteries if they’re plugged in to the mains charger, so vehicle owners should check their EV handbook for details.
Getting back on the road
Once you’re ready to use your vehicles again, check that the MoT and tax are still current. If your MoT is due to expire during the second lockdown period, it would be a good idea to get it booked in as soon as possible as many garages are still dealing with high demand from the MoT extension. Vehicle owners can find a local AA-approved garage, select a date and book an individual MoT online via AA Smart Care or contact your AA account manager if you have multiple vehicles to maintain.
Before starting the vehicle, make sure there’s nothing nesting under the bonnet which might have caused damage to pipes or hoses, and check all the fluid levels before starting the engine.
Before driving, check the tyre pressures and inflate them if needed. It’s also worth checking the condition of the tyres, looking out for any defects.
If your vehicles have been standing unused for a long time, it’s a good idea to arrange a full service once you’re ready to use them again.
Spirited schoolchildren looked the part when hosting a colourful fun run for charity.
Pupils at Poringland Primary School sported crazy hairstyles and odd socks and raised more than £1,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Their school is less than a mile from The Nook – the EACH hospice opened by The Princess of Wales in 2019 – and 450 children took part, from Nursery to Year Six.
“As a school, we’ve supported The Nook since plans were first drawn up to build a hospice in our community,” said teacher and Fundraising Lead Carrie Hayes.
“However, we haven’t been able to do any whole school fundraising until now, because of Covid.
“That’s why it was so lovely to be able to host this fun run, which was organised by our Year Five and Six councillors Olivia Gough, Beth Hoadley, Tom Kirk and Sam Rudd.
“At the end of January, they went to The Nook and met EACH Community Fundraiser Ellie Miller.
“After a digital tour of the building, they learned what goes on there and why fundraising is so important.”
Inspired by their visit, Olivia, Beth, Tom and Sam led assemblies to explain to the school why they wanted to have a fun run to raise money for The Nook.
They decided everyone could either have crazy hair or wear odd socks.
“On the day, they were in charge of leading classes to their starting position,” added Carrie.
“They were absolutely brilliant and supported all the children by giving them high fives or running alongside them.
“They enjoyed being part of the organising team and were a credit to our school, as were all those who took part.”
The school raised £175.88 in cash, as well as £707 online. With Gift Aid, it took their total to more than £1,000.
“We’re so grateful to our young friends at Poringland Primary School, as well as their parents and carers and all the staff,” said Ellie.
“They worked so hard to organise the fun run, got in the spirit on the day and gave so generously.
“It was a pleasure to meet the children earlier this year and I’m so pleased their event was such fun and so successful.”
With only a few weeks to go until the United Kingdom transitions out of the EU, time is of the essence for businesses to prepare.
The government has put in place new rules that organisations must adhere to by the 1st of January 2021. This year has already been an incredible challenge for the majority of businesses due to the COVID pandemic, so it is understandable that strategising for Brexit may not have been your top priority.
However, with time running out, now is the time to act in order to prevent any further disruption to your operations. And the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce are on hand to help.
How we can support your Norfolk business through Brexit and beyond
The complexity of Brexit, from the regulation changes to the shifting EU exit dates, has made it a daunting concept. To alleviate any concerns, the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce have moved swiftly to implement a Brexit Hub on our website.
Countdown to Change online webinar series hosted by Customers expert, Liam Smyth. Covering import and export processes, systems and controls, these webinars are designed to guide your business through the complexity of change.
Chamber webinar recordings from throughout the year that cover a range of topics from COVID and mindset resilience, to staff motivation and strategies.
International documentation including ATA Carnets, International Import Certificates, Arab Certificates of Origin, A.TR Movement Certificates, EUR1 Movement Certificates and European Certificates of Origin. We can also arrange for the legalisation of these documents through the Chamber Network.
Information on other topics that could impact your business including people, trade, borders, digital, regulations and standards, tax, finance and banking as well as funding.
Links to other useful sources of information to keep you updated including the British Chambers of Commerce, New Anglia LEP and the GOV.UK website (who also provide an email service for updates).
Going further to help ease the pressure on your business
In addition to the hub, we are delighted to announce that we have specialist Brexit advisers available to talk to. These advisers are qualified to manage Customs Declarations, making them a fantastic, easy to reach, point of contact for your business.
We do recommend phoning in sooner, rather than later, as this service has been incredibly popular. You can contact an adviser by calling 01603 625977.
By covering all angles, we hope to make this a stress-free process for your business. Especially as 2020 has been one of the most difficult years in the last few decades. Together we can be Brexit-ready.
We at the Norfolk Chambers are excited to announce and kick-off our Christmas Countdown of Charities. Throughout December we shall be sharing stories and updates from a variety of Norfolk charities. This is a great opportunity to see and hear about the amazing work that is happening across our county!
We have a whole range of charities involved this year; from Break whose stories we are sharing today, The Matthew Project and Leeway coming up in the next few days and many more! So be sure to keep an eye on our social media to find out what is going on with these fantastic charities.
Although Norfolk Chambers has traded successfully for over 125 years supporting Norfolk businesses, it is only in the last decade that the pace of change within digital consumer behaviour has become meteoric. To keep up, traditional longstanding organisations and businesses across Norfolk need innovation; without it they run the very real risk of losing their relevancy and customer base. So, innovate we must and with that in mind let me tell you my number one top tip when thinking about innovation.
‘Always, always make it about your customer’.
Technology is a huge enabler, it can speed things up, simplify information, make you more accessible, save you time and therefore cost, BUT introducing innovative tech is best used in ways that delight and engage your customers more than you already do. In other words, you innovate to add to the customer experience.
Be mindful though, not all innovation does this. Have you noticed, for example that some retail outlets are removing automated tills from some of their stores? Yes, it’s nice to wiz though a checkout (although you could argue that rarely happens with automated tills), but did this innovation really add to the customer experience, or instead make it more frustrating with less positive human engagement? If your customer chooses to visit your shop, then you must make the experience a positive one and not try and ‘fuse tech’ to deliver the customer service and instead create an angry hybrid!
My other top tip.
It’s all about your people, your team, your living/breathing brand ambassadors.
They must own your transformation. When companies think about transformation they naturally focus on risk and revenue and KPI’s etc. All good, but a huge value of a business is in its culture and people, so naturally the culture must allow the people to drive and support the innovation as co-creation.
Co-Creation is where our heads have been for the last year or so at the Norfolk Chambers. Buoyed by our refreshed company mission and purpose: ‘to connect and support and give voice to every business in Norfolk’ we have begun our modernisation journey.
The journey references our 125-year history and enables us to create and engage in new and exciting digital innovations that, when applied, add to the customer experience. There are a few innovations to come and grouped together they collectively form: The Digital Chamber.
And, due to the current and dramatic shift to digital caused by the COVID pandemic, we have accelerated the launch of the first The Digital Chamber innovation: Norfolk’s Voice.
Norfolk’s Voice is a new digital media platform and is, quite simply, a home for videos, podcasts and articles, that are enriched with vital knowledge, that when understood will enable business to succeed.
Knowledge rich content is not in short supply; in the spirit of Co-Creation we see and hear it every day, and now we have the ability to give it greater purpose. Norfolk’s Voice is free to view and available 24/7 via the web and free apps. Supported and curated by the chamber, our aim is to deliver relevant, engaging content that’s free and is ‘telling not selling!’
We are just beginning. Welcome to The Digital Chamber!
With negotiations between the UK and EU once again at a decision point – and with just 24 days to go until the end of the Brexit transition period – the latest analysis by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that businesses still have insufficient official information available in 24 critical areas, undermining their ability to prepare for change on 1st January.
The leading business organisation’s Brexit Guidance Dashboard – long used by both business and government to evaluate the quality of official UK government guidance – still has 24 of 35 key questions flashing ‘Amber’ or ‘Red’.
The leading business group last evaluated the quality of official HM Government guidance to assess whether it provides sufficient, clear and actionable information that businesses can use to prepare for the coming changes in September and has now provided its latest assessment.
The BCC’s December dashboard finds:
24 unanswered questions reflect fundamental aspects of business operations, including UK/EU customs checks and rules of origin
Government guidance has only been upgraded to a ‘Green’ RAG rating in two areas (duty deferment accounts and the paperwork needed to import under a Generalised System of Preferences programme) since its last update in September
Little movement on unanswered questions
The BCC’s updated Brexit guidance dashboard compiles 35 questions most frequently raised by businesses, which apply in both ‘deal’ or ‘no deal’ scenarios. The BCC has assessed the information available to firms and rated it Green (information is sufficient), Amber (some information is available) and Red (information is wholly inadequate).
The BCC gives just 11 areas a ‘Green’ status (up from 9 in September). 19 are Amber (no change from September) and five are Red (down from seven in September). Many of the unanswered questions reflect fundamental aspects of how companies operate.
Among other things:
firms still do not know what rules of origin will apply after the transition period, preventing them and their customers from planning and potentially creating unprecedented new administration and costs;
there remains very limited guidance on procedures for the movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland;
10-digit tariff codes have still not been published and there is still doubt about the final WTO MFN tariff rates; and
there is no information on how UK tariff rate quotas will be administered or how businesses can access them beyond the transition period
The lack of information with which to plan and potential deadline fatigue presents further challenges to firms up and down the UK, who have already faced reduced demand, ongoing government restrictions and sustained cashflow challenges due to the Coronavirus crisis.
Easements/temporary waivers needed to help firms adjust
In addition to clarity on the new arrangements in any deal, it is crucial that the UK and the EU governments agree to implement changes in a way that helps businesses to adjust to the new procedures and systems that will come in to force from January 1.
Example UK easements could include:
A temporary waiver of the £300 fine for hauliers arriving at Channel ports not border ready due to genuine errors in the preparation of their documentation
Flexibility in the requirements for EU companies to be registered in the UK for paperwork purposes
A mandatory grace period for all companies who have inadvertently shared personal data unlawfully between the UK and the EU (whether with third parties or subsidiaries) without adequate legal authority – unless there has been a substantive breach of data subject rights
On areas such as the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, H.M. Government should be prepared to act unilaterally to maintain the provision of services within the UK whilst also working with the EU and Member States on reciprocal provision.
If no agreement can be reached, BCC urges both the UK and EU to take steps to help keep trade flowing – in the interests of businesses on both sides.
BCC Director General Adam Marshall said:
“With just weeks to go, businesses need answers, and they need them now. Posters and television adverts are no substitute for the clear, detailed and actionable information businesses require to prepare for the end of transition.
“None of the issues businesses are grappling with are new. They have all been raised repeatedly over the past four years, from tariff codes and rules of origin through to the movement of goods from GB to NI.
“The detail and precision of UK government guidance matters, and will make all the difference as the trading relationship between the UK and EU changes on January 1st. With the clock ticking down, the government must do everything in its power to provide businesses with answers as they prepare to navigate a New Year like no other.
“We welcome the fact that UK and EU leaders are still talking, as the overwhelming majority of businesses want the two sides to reach an agreement. If a breakthrough happens over the coming hours and days, the two sides must immediately set to work on pragmatic steps to smooth the introduction of the new arrangements from January, including easements for genuine administrative errors, clear procedures at ports, and fast help from customs authorities.”
You can see friends and family you do not live with (or do not have a support bubble with) outdoors, in a group of no more than 6. This limit of 6 includes children of any age.
‘Outdoors’ means in a private garden or other outdoor space.
You can continue to meet in a group larger than 6 if you are all from the same household or support bubble or another legal exemption applies.
Restrictions on Business
All businesses and venues should follow COVID-secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and workers.
nightclubs and adult entertainment venues must remain closed
pubs and bars may not provide alcohol for consumption on the premises, unless with a substantial meal, so they are operating as a restaurant. They may remain open for take-away services
other hospitality businesses – including cafes, restaurants and social clubs – can only serve alcohol with substantial meals. If they are a business which serves alcohol for consumption on the premises, they must be table service only. In cinemas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadia, alcohol can be ordered at a bar to be consumed when seated in the auditorium or area where the screening/performance is taking place. This should be limited to only those with tickets. When it is to be consumed in the bar area itself, it must be part of a substantial meal and full table service must be provided
hospitality venues that do not serve alcohol may allow someone to order from the counter, but they must still consume their meal from a seat if eating in
hospitality venues must stop taking orders after 10pm and must close between 11pm and 5am (with exceptions for airports, ports, the Folkestone international rail terminal, on public transport services and in motorway service areas, although these places cannot sell alcohol after 11pm)
hospitality businesses and venues selling food and drink for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm, such as by take-away. After 11pm, this must only be through delivery service or click-and-collect or drive-through.
businesses must not provide shared smoking equipment for use on the premises.
visitor attractions, entertainment businesses and venues may open but early closure (11pm) applies to the following:
casinos
theatres
museums
bowling alleys
adult gaming centres and amusement arcades
funfairs, theme parks and adventure parks and activities
bingo halls
cinemas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadia
cinemas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadia can stay open beyond 11pm in order to conclude performances and events that start before 10pm
tour groups must operate in line with social contact rules. This means that larger tours where different households or support bubbles (or groups of more than 6 if outdoors) interact will not be feasible
accommodation, such as hotels, holiday lets and guesthouses, may open but businesses must take reasonable steps to ensure that social contact rules are followed within their venues
retail businesses and premises may open but must ensure that they operate in a COVID-19-secure manner
theatres, concert halls, music venues and sports stadia are open, but capacity will be restricted to whichever is lower: 50% capacity or 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors
conference centres and exhibition halls are open. Business events are permitted, but capacity should be restricted to whichever is lower: 50% capacity of 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors
certain businesses and venues are required to collect customer, visitor and staff data to support NHS Test and Trace
Abellio Greater Anglia is advising rail passengers that there will now be far fewer alterations to weekend train travel over the coming weeks and months, now that Network Rail has completed essential track and overhead line upgrades on the Great Eastern Main Line (between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester and London) which took place over eight weekends between 31 January / 1 February and 21 / 22 March.
Saturday services
There are now no further significant engineering works affecting Saturday services on the Norwich / Ipswich / Colchester to London Liverpool Street route this Spring or Summer, including the three upcoming Bank Holiday weekends of May Day Holiday Saturday (2 May ) and Spring Bank Holiday Saturday (23 May).
The exception being a small number of early morning and late evening services on 25 April which will involve a bus replacement service for part of the journey.
Sunday services
On Sundays over the coming weeks, other than Bank Holiday weekends, most services are also operating free of engineering works, although rail passengers are advised to check before they travel as some early morning and late evening services will include a bus replacement for part of the journey.
Looking ahead
Looking further ahead, the good news for passengers on the Great Eastern Main Line is that with the exception of the works on 3/4 May and 24/25 May, weekend/bank holiday travel is now largely free of significant disruptive engineering work for the rest of the year, other than some late night Saturday and early morning Sunday services.
Andrew Goodrum, Customer Service Director, Abellio Greater Anglia said: “There are now many more opportunities for rail passengers to travel without any planned service alterations at weekends this Spring, including on Good Friday and Easter Saturday. Customers can obtain full details of train times and great ideas for a day-out in London from our website or by enquiring at our stations.”
International trade and investment are vital for this country’s prosperity and is a key generator of local economic growth. Facilitating access to new markets and stimulating overseas trade opportunities for local companies is a top priority for the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.
This is why the Borough Council has joined forces with UK Trade & Investment and Business HANSE Ltd to organise the Hanse Business Convention 2015, an event designed to promote export opportunities and business support for West Norfolk companies and facilitate business to business cooperation across Hanse Economic Area, which covers a market with a combined population of over 300 million and combined GDP of over $10,000 billion.
This is your opportunity to join other local businesses at the Hanse Business Convention for free. It will take place on 15th May 2015 at the Hanse House, South Quay in King’s Lynn PE30 5GN.
Two internationally renowned speakers will address the convention in May 2015: Dr Herman Hauser CBE, science-based innovator and serial entrepreneur and UK Business Ambassador and Simon Anholt, an independent policy advisor who helps national, regional and city governments worldwide to develop and implement strategies for enhanced economic, political and cultural engagement with other countries.
Also, Dr Andreas Prothmann, Minister and Head of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in London will speak about business opportunities in Germany for UK exporters.
As well as these keynote speakers there will be interactive workshop sessions and the opportunity to arrange one-to-one sessions with UKTI representatives.
Places for this free not-to-be-missed event can be booked by going to www.eventbrite.co.uk and searching for Hanse Business Convention.
The convention will be followed by the Hanse Festival Weekend on 16th and 17th May. More details can be foundwww.kingslynnhansefestival.co.uk.
On 10 May 2023, the Department for Business and Trade published a policy paper, “Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy.” The paper contained details that propose amendments to several areas of UK Employment law that will impact on your business, if made into law.
This blog explores the potential impact that these changes may have on your business Its important to note that, at present, these remain as proposals and are not embedded in law- you should keep doing everything as usual for now.
Working Time Regulations 1998
The proposals set out several amendments to the Working Time Regulations, reducing the administrative burden on employers by:
Removing record-keeping requirements:
Removing case law that imposes time-consuming requirements for businesses to maintain working hour records, you’ll no longer need to keep logs of hours worked by each employee.
Permitting rolled-up holiday pay:
The proposal re-introduces the practice of rolled-up holiday pay, so that workers can receive their holiday pay with every payslip. This is particularly relevant for seasonal, casual or temporary workers, who usually do not need to take holiday and therefore may receive a rolled up payment instead.
Merging basic and additional statutory leave:
Merging the current two separate leave entitlements into one pot of statutory annual leave, while maintaining the same amount of statutory leave entitlement overall. The current system separates the 4 weeks and 1.6 weeks entitlement as they come from two systems; this will merge to two, providing a total statutory allowance of 5.6 weeks.
TUPE: Transfers of business ownership or services
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) Regulations protect employees when the business or organisation for which they work transfers to a new owner, it may also apply when a service transfers to a new provider. TUPE regulations provide important protections for employees and provide a legal framework for transfers of staff, the proposals seek to simplify this process for small and medium sized businesses up to 50 employees and for small TUPE transfers.
Currently, businesses cannot consult employees directly where they do not have employee representatives in place, instead, they must elect employee representatives. The proposal is to remove the requirement to consult with elected employee representations for:
Businesses with fewer than 50 people
Transfers affecting less than 10 employees
This change will allow businesses in these circumstances to consult directly with the affected employees.
Non-compete clauses
Non-compete clauses are included in employment contracts to restrict an individual’s ability to work for or establish a competing business after they have moved on from a job.
The proposals set out to limit the length of non-compete clauses to 3 months, providing employees with more flexibility to join a competitor or start up a rival business after they have left a position.
This won’t impact on your ability to use (paid) notice periods or gardening leave, or to use non-solicitation clauses; nor will they impact on confidentiality clauses, or restrictions on (former) public sector employees under the business appointment rules.
Next steps
As these are proposals only at this stage, there’s no need to make any immediate changes. However, you’ll need to keep to up to date with the proposals and any implementation dates. We’ll keep you updated, but in the meantime, if you want to ensure that you’re fully compliant, let us help you and contact us today.
As we head into the final month of 2020, the time until the transition date decreases, and the probability of a no-deal increases. Whilst this hangs in the balance, some businesses may feel inclined to wait until the last minute to see what deal comes through. However, this strategy can be incredibly damaging to your organisation and the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce recommends preparing for any scenario, deal or no-deal. No matter the outcome, significant changes to your organisation will be required. To help you prepare, we are offering businesses free support through our online Brexit Hub and if you haven’t capitalised on this opportunity, then we urge you to do so at your earliest convenience – our business advice lines are becoming busier as we hurtle towards the deadline.
We are all hoping for a deal to come to the table, but what is the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit on your business?
Limited access to European markets – It’s possible that without a deal, there may be restrictions when bidding for contracts in the EU. This could also apply to delivering contracts that are already in place.
Disruption to supply chains – One of the big concerns is the potential disruption to supply chains through changes in tariffs, other costs and changes with import and export controls.
Higher tariffs – A result of a no-deal Brexit is the increase of tariffs on products imported from and through the European Union. Depending on the product, costs could rise drastically, and this may impact on your customers.
Tax changes – If your business uses European Union tax structures, then this will most likely be affected. It could take time to implement and develop alternative UK tax structures, slowing down business operations.
Changes to data protection – At present, the UK adheres to the EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) when processing data. If this changes, then existing databases may need to be reviewed and adjusted to fit with new regulations.
Although this may all seem daunting, you’re not up the creek without a paddle. the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce are to help, no matter what happens on January 1st. You can access our comprehensive and easy-to-use Brexit Hub full of free resources by clicking here. You can also phone our expert trade advisors on 01603 625977.