The aim of the 2019-2024 economic strategy is to provide the framework and ambition that will direct the actions the City Council and its partners will take to achieve increased economic productivity and a prosperous, resilient and inclusive economy.
The draft strategy has been informed by the 2018 Norwich Economic Assessment and also takes into account the recent work undertaken by the 2040 Vision partnership to develop a new vision for Norwich.
Your feedback will help shape the economic strategy and develop annual action plans. Norwich City Council are planning to publish a final document during April 2019.
Norfolk businesses urgently need answers to the many no-deal Brexit scenario questions. Today, Norfolk Chamber has officially written to all our MPs asking for their support in Westminster to get answers to those questions.
“I write today on behalf of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and the business communities across Norfolk to highlight the critical questions that remain unanswered for business in the unwelcome event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on March 29.
To be clear, UK businesses do not want a messy and disorderly exit from the EU. However, given that ‘no-deal’ remains a possibility, firms need clear answers on the terms of trade they would face in that scenario.
With less than two months to go, businesses still do not have the information they need to plan effectively for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement and transition period. Many of the most basic questions remain unanswered, and we have set these out in the document attached.
Norfolk Chamber has been working closely with the British Chambers of Commerce and have campaigned strongly for official guidance – and we have, where possible, welcomed the technical notices, partnership packs and other details of ‘no-deal’ planning as a result.
Yet there are still many areas where businesses have no firm guidance at all. This is especially true in the case of international trade, where the bulk of the questions attached outline the many uncertainties faced by business in this scenario.
Questions include, will businesses be able to move skilled staff members between the UK and the EU after 29 March and if so, under what conditions? And will existing trade agreements be rolled over or replaced on a bilateral basis in time to prevent the loss of preferences and customs facilitations?
Many of the unanswered questions reflect fundamental aspects of how companies operate. For instance, the terms of trade agreements can affect pricing decisions, margins and even choice of business location and the geography of supply chains. The absence of clarity and precision has already stifled investment and growth and it is getting worse the closer we get, resulting in unnecessary costs, inability to plan and, increasingly, loss of business as customers look elsewhere.
It is clear that the UK is not prepared for a ‘no deal’ exit from the EU on March 29. Firms are being asked to prepare for all scenarios but simply aren’t being given the tools to do so.
On behalf of Norfolk Chamber and the business community, we ask that you raise this with the Government as a matter of urgency and consider the steps that you can take to avoid ‘no deal’ on 29th March.”
British banks and building societies drew down £2.6bn in Q1 2013 from the Funding for Lending Scheme.
Net lending to businesses decreased by £300m in Q1 2013
Commenting on the latest figures on the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS), Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:
“Although the £300m fall in lending was a smaller drop than the previous quarter, it is a concern that lending continues to contract despite the Funding for Lending Scheme having been in place for nearly a year. It is also worrying that usage of scheme seems to have dropped significantly since the end of 2012.
“The real test for Funding for Lending is whether it is able to get credit flowing to Norfolk’s young and fast-growing small businesses. Unfortunately many of these small business with aspirations to grow are still being left out in the cold when it comes to accessing finance, which prevents them from expanding, creating jobs and helping to drive a business-led recovery. These figures give weight to the argument for the swift delivery of a British Business Bank, which must have both the scale and the infrastructure needed to help young firms grow.”
Annual CPI inflation was 2.9% in June 2013, up from 2.7% in May
Annual RPI inflation was 3.3% in June 2013, up from 3.1% in May
Largest upward contribution came from motor fuels and clothing, partly offset by a downward contribution from air transport
Commenting on the inflation figures for June 2013, published today by the ONS, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:
“The rise in inflation is bad news for businesses and consumers, especially at a time when earnings growth remains weak and the government’s austerity measures are in full swing. Inflation is now at the highest point seen over the past year, though still below the levels seen in 2010-11. The uncertainty is whether inflation will peak at its present level before falling later this year, as we expect. If this happens, it is still possible that the recovery will continue to slowly gather momentum throughout the year and into 2014.
“However if unexpected developments, such as renewed surges in energy prices, push inflation up further, our growth prospects will face new risks. Given the uncertainties, the MPC should remain cautious and reject any measures that could delay the fall in inflation that the economy needs.”
Second annual event highlights the success stories of the district
The second North Norfolk Business Awards were held on the evening of Thursday 21 February 2019, with two dozen of the district’s businesses winning plaudits for their success.
The awards, organised by North Norfolk District Council and held at Gresham’s School, saw awards presented in eight main categories, as well as a Chairman’s Award, which was presented for the first time this year.
The winners were:
Agriculture, Horticulture & Countryside, in association with Lovewell Blake: Crop Systems
Business Growth, in association with FOUR: Crisp Malt
Environment, in association with Fakenham Racecourse: MarGins Walking and Glamping Holidays
Innovation, in association with Archant: Chell Instruments
New Business, in association with Eastlaw: Archangel Distilleries
Small Business, in association with MENTA: The Norfolk Brewhouse
Tourism & Hospitality, in association with Thursford: Norfolk Cottages
Young People & Skills, in association with New Anglia LEP: Holkham Estate
Chairman’s Award: Oyster Yachts
Presenting the awards evening was Norfolk Chamber’s Chief Executive, Chris Sargisson. He said:
“I was delighted to be able to join this celebration of the best in business. The quality of entries was fantastic and showed just what a thriving district North Norfolk is.”
Cllr Sarah Butikofer, Leader of North Norfolk District Council, said:
“It was a tremendous night and it was great to see so many businesses from our district doing well.
“The quality of all the shortlisted businesses was inspiring, and demonstrated just how many success stories we have in North Norfolk.”
How you can get involved and support National Apprenticeship week is fast approaching, it’s great if you and your business can get involved. This year’s theme is “Blaze a Trail.” The aim of the campaign is to shine a spotlight on apprenticeships and the fact they can be a great path for people at any stage of their career.
If you are keen to get involved with this week. Click on this link for more information and a toolkit too. https://bit.ly/2Te4ZAR
A Public Inquiry begins tomorrow (Wednesday 3 July) into the Slip Road and Side Road Orders for a planned improvement of the Postwick interchange at the eastern end of the A47 Norwich Southern Bypass.
The junction proposals are being put forward at the Inquiry by Norfolk County Council and the Highways Agency*. The proposals received planning consent from Broadland District Council in October 2011 but also require the approval of the Slip Road and Side Road Orders before the project can proceed.
The Inspector, Mr David Wildsmith, will open the Inquiry at 10am tomorrow (Wed) at the Kings Centre, King Street, Norwich. He will hear the case for the promoters, the supporters, the objections and otherrepresentations.
The Inquiry is currently scheduled to sit for 12 days, closing on Thursday 25 July**. (It will not be sitting on Mondays, or Tuesday 16 or Wednesday 17 July.)
After closing the Inquiry the Inspector will submit a report to the Secretaries of State for Transport and for Communities & Local Government, together with his conclusions and recommendations. The Secretaries of State will then decide whether the Orders should be made.
In the three months to May 2013, unemployment claimants in Norfolk fell by 9%
Long-term unemployment in Norwich increased by 14% between May 2012 – May 2013
Youth unemployment (18 – 24 Years) in Norwich rose by 23% between May 2012 – May 2013
The Norfolk claimant count fell by 5% between May and June 2013
Commenting on the labour market figures, published yesterday by the ONS, Caroline Williams – CEO, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said:
“With employment rising and unemployment falling, the labour market remains an area of strength for the Norfolk economy. There are some areas of concern, however. Long-term unemployment is up and youth unemployment is still too high. But at a time when the government’s austerity plan remains in force and the public sector is shrinking, it is reassuring that the private sector is willing and able to create jobs.
“The government and the Bank of England can do more to help Norfolk businesses continue creating jobs. The positive measures announced in the Spending Review, such as providing more support for exporters and infrastructure projects, should be implemented as soon as possible, and further efforts are needed to increase the flow of credit to viable businesses.”
On Thursday 31 May we took over The Earlham Arms on Earlham Road, Norwich, to deliver a knowledge testing evening of informal networking and team building. Over 80 attendees joined us at our annual quiz to make 14 determined teams all competing for bragging rights of being the Norfolk Chamber Pub Quiz winners. The evening of quizzing was made up by 6 rounds, including two table top rounds. Norfolk Chamber staff took part by writing rounds for the quiz, and coming along for the evening to present their questions. As delegates arrived the drinks started flowing and they began work on their first table top round, naming the companies behind famous slogans. When the quiz got started the pub fell quiet as Nova kicked things off with a geography round. The questions were tough for all except team ‘Bills + Thieves’ who scored 9/10! Jack was up next presenting his film and TV round, featuring popular shows such as Breaking Bad, Pokémon and Parks and Recreation. Once the answers were read and scores so far counted, we took a break to enjoy some tapas served by The Earlham Arms. Throughout the break we swapped the table top round to spots questions, asking teams to name famous sporting legends in the images given. When the quizzing resumed Joe gave teams the answers to the table top slogan sheet. This was then followed by Philippa presenting a tough round on arts and culture, featuring plenty of Norfolk based questions to get the teams searching their brains. Up next was the moment we’d all been waiting for; Chris was presenting the music round. Teams heard clips from 10 songs with a word blanked out, they had to guess what the blank word was. To make it easier, all the blanked words were body parts. This round included some singing and interesting dance moves from Chris, and saw ‘Team GGS’, ‘Bills + Thieves’ and ‘Tiger Eye AKA King Quizzard + the Lizard Wizards’ score top marks with 10/10. Jack closed the quizzing by giving the answers to the sports table top round and we collected the final scores. Not only did they have the longest team name in quiz history, but ‘Tiger Eye AKA King Quizzard + the Lizard Wizards’ were also crowned winners with a total score of 54.5 out of a possible 77. They left victorious along with their medals, some chocolates and free tickets to our bowling night. You can see the full scoreboard from the evening below: Position: Team Name: Score: 1st Tiger Eye AKA King Quizzard + the Lizard Wizards 54.5 2nd Bills + Thieves 52 3rd Team GGS 50 3rd If you know the answer you know the answer 50 4th Mattioli Woods 49.5 5th Liftshare 48.5 6th Always Huge Potential 45.5 7th What Skills Gap! 44 8th Cozens-Hardly Know Anything 43 9th Blame Bailey 42 10th Price Bailey 41.5 11th The gloves are off 39.5 12th Steele the Show 38.5 13th The Hopefuls 35
Fancy joining us at our next evening event along with our quiz winners? Take a look!
Commenting ahead of today’s Cabinet meeting and the Prime Minister’s statement to the House of Commons on the Brexit negotiations, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“At this pivotal moment, the government must take decisive steps to avoid the damage that a messy and disorderly exit would cause to business and the economy in just a month’s time.
“It is time to be honest. Government and its agencies are not prepared for a ‘no deal’ exit on 29th March. Neither are many businesses.
“The overriding priority must be to assure businesses, employees, investors and communities that an unwanted ‘no deal’ scenario will not be allowed to happen by default on March 29th.”
On Wednesday 27 February we booked out the top floor of Bill’s Norwich for a sold out networking breakfast. With over 85 businesses joining us in the newly refurbished restaurant, and different menu options to awaken the taste buds. The morning started with coffee of course, followed by some networking time between attendees. On arrival, we gave each delegate a sticker with a name on. This name then paired up with another in the room, for example if you had salt, you would have to find pepper. The activity got delegates mixed around and meeting businesses they may not have met before. It was then time to sit down for breakfast, with Full English, vegetarian, vegan and the healthy option of avocado on toast dishes flowing out of the kitchen. Conversations carried on over breakfast filling Bill’s with a great atmosphere. When everyone was full we welcomed our guest speaker James Groves of Indigo Swan. James joined us to give his top five tips to embed a positive culture in your workplace. James’ top tips were: 1. Remember that culture is not just felt internally, but externally as well 2. Live your values – it’s not just words 3. Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk 4. Show you care about your people personally 5. Enjoy what you do! After answering some questions from the audience with fellow swans Tom, Alex and Aimee, James left the audience with a final question – ‘when is the best time to plant a tree?’. The answer; 20 years ago. Given that none of us have a time machine handy, James emphasised how you can’t go back, but you can start now. Our next Norwich event is our Wine Tasting at HarperWells! Make sure you join us to socialise among the business community over wine tasting and cheese boards. Click here for more details.
HMRC are encouraging businesses trading outside the UK to apply for an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, from 11pm on 29th March, UK businesses will need to apply the same processes as are currently used when exporting and importing outside the EU.
If you’re VAT registered this process is simple and can be done online, it should only take around 10 minutes. You’ll need your VAT registration number and name of your business in which you’re VAT registered.
If you’re not VAT registered you’ll need some more information which can be found here.
To apply for your EORI number or find out more please click here.
Export Licences
The Department for International Trade has announced a new Open General Export License (OGEL) for the export of dual-use goods (with both civilian and military application) to the EU. These items could be used for both civil and military applications and could include: goods, software, technology, documents, diagrams, raw materials such as chemicals, components like bearings and complete systems such as lasers. You can find further information on these items here.
The licence will come into effect as from 11pm on 29th March, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
HMRC has written to 145,000 businesses who are trading with the EU regarding the transitional simplified procedures (TSP) for customs, if we leave the EU without a deal.
The procedures should help to avoid prolonged checks at the border and would also mean that goods can be transported from the EU to the UK without having to make a full customs declaration at the border, also delaying the payment for import duties.
Whilst we are not sure how long these changes will last; the government have said they will provide 12 months’ notice if any changes need to be made.
Registrations for TSP are now open, and businesses can register if they have an EORI number, please click here for more information.
If you have a specific query or need more advice on Brexit, please contact: [email protected] or call 01603 625977.