John Sutch Cranes persuaded its local member of parliament, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, to come round for a chat about business.
Sutch is based in Dukinfield, in Tameside, which is in Angela Rayner’s Ashton-under-Lyne constituency.
According to the mobile crane hirer, Rayner left the meeting promising to support the company in its efforts to address restrictive legislation impacting its fleet operations across the UK.
Managing director Hayley Sutch and sales director Paul Parry explained to Rayner that the inconsistencies in how local councils and police forces enforce regulations on mobile cranes have caused significant operational challenges for crane hire companies. David Smith, legal manager at the Construction Plant Hire Association (CPA), also joined the meeting.
Rayner, who is also secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, said that she would liaise with Westminster colleagues and lead cross-departmental discussions with the Home Office to address the broader implications of the issue.
Hayley Sutch said: “We’re grateful to Angela Rayner MP for her support. Her involvement could make a real difference in resolving these issues, not just for our business, but for the entire mobile crane industry.
“It’s a pivotal moment as the government pledged to build 1.5 million new homes and cranes, of course, play an important role in that.”
