Chamber News

Norfolk Chamber staff have all signed up to the Great Eastern Rail Campaign. The campaign is calling for a faster, more reliable service on the London to Norwich line including:

• Significant investment in track infrastructure
• Better trains and a higher quality travelling experience
• Greater capacity with more seats and more carriages

The overall goal is to achieve London to Norwich in 90, Ipswich in 60, Colchester in 40 and Chelmsford in 25 minutes.

Add your support by signing up now via the website: www.newanglia.co.uk/gerailcampaign

A Technical Consultation on Planning has been issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The consultation document presents a number of proposals for how Government wants to improve the planning system, to make it more responsive, more straight forward and less confusing.

Changes proposed include:

• Neighbourhood Planning – to make it easier for residents and businesses to come together to produce Neighbourhood Plans and Neighbourhood Development Orders – by limiting the time a Local Planning Authority has to respond to an application for a Neighbourhood Plan and changing requirements for consultation;
• Reducing red tape and regulations – to support housing, high streets and growth – by expanding permitted development rights to enable new homes to be created from light industrial, warehouse and office buildings and buildings in other uses; to allow more dwelling extensions without the need to apply for planning permission; to allow greater flexibility to change shops to finance and professional service premises and vice versa; to allow retail units to expand without planning permission; and to provide more flexibility for leisure uses in the high street etc;
• Improving the use of planning conditions – to enable development to start more quickly – by deeming the discharge of certain conditions where a LPA does not make a timely decision on applications to discharge; and for LPAs to justify the use of pre-commencement conditions;
• Planning Application processes – to improve speed and responsiveness – by changing thresholds whereby statutory consultees are notified; and a change to ensure that rail infrastructure managers are consulted where development is proposed close to operational railway land;
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Thresholds – to reduce the number of projects ‘caught’ by EIA – by raising the thresholds whereby EIA screening requests are required; and
• Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning Regime – to enable the system to work more effectively – by increasing the flexibility within Development Consent Orders.

Comments on the proposed changes must be made to the DCLG before 26 September 2014.

Add your comments online now

Great Yarmouth Borough Council are running a 12-week public consultation from Monday 28 July 2014 to Monday, October 20, 2014, covering the vision for the borough, how the borough council will work in the future, and proposed income and savings options for 2015/16.

During the 12 weeks, you will be able to complete and submit the consultation online. The consultation allows everyone in the borough to give feedback on the proposals and to share their own priorities, aspirations, views and ideas to help councillors make informed decisions on future plans and council budgets.

At a recent meeting of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough (GCGP) LEP and business organisations, including Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, the discussions centred around the Growth Deal announcement. The GCGP had secured £21.4 million of funding for infrastructure projects such as the improvements of Junction 20 on the A47, to the north east of Peterborough, and various schemes that will bring forward business and enterprise in the regions covered by the GCGP LEP. Funding was also allocated for an extension to the Agri-tech funding scheme and the Growth Hub.

Graeme Nix, the Chair of GCGP LEP also took the opportunity to confirm that Neil Darwin from Opportunity Peterborough has been seconded to the GCGP LEP for one year with a remit to promote enterprise and skills, via the Growth Hub.

Nova Fairbank, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: “It is really good to be able to join with the other business organisations, working in partnership with the GCGP LEP to improve economic growth in our region. However we were disappointed that no West Norfolk schemes were succesful in the first round of the Growth Deal and we look forward to continued involvement with the GCGP LEP to try to ensure that funding for West Norfolk projects are successful in the next round.”

The latest GDP figures for Quarter 2 (2014) are released today, Friday 25 July and have highlighted the following key findings:

• GDP growth in Q2 2014 was 0.8%, the same increase as in Q1
• The level of GDP in Q2 2014 was 0.2% higher than its previous peak in Q1 2008
• Year-on-year increase in Q2 2014 was 3.1%, marginally higher than in Q1
• The service sector led the recovery with quarterly growth of 1.0%
• Manufacturing output rose by 0.2% in Q2 2014, while construction recorded a fall of 0.5%

Commenting on the preliminary GDP estimate for Q2 2014, published today by the ONS, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said: “The fact that Britain’s economy is now bigger than it was in 2008 is great news, and will provide a shot in the arm for businesses and consumers alike. Yet even though we’re one of the fastest-growing developed economies, there’s no room for complacency. Without sustained action, these growth figures could be ‘as good as it gets’ for the UK. The government and the Bank of England must pull out all the stops to encourage business investment, help exporters and get finance flowing to growing firms who still aren’t seen as a safe bet by the banks. Above all, interest rates need to stay low for as long as possible, and rise slowly and predictably when they do go up – to avoid undermining the solid business confidence that’s driving the growth we’re seeing in businesses across Britain.”

Caroline Williams, Chief Executive, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:The British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) also recently highlighted that business confidence in Norfolk and across the East of England continues to grow. Many businesses reported strengthening order books for both UK and overseas sales. With increased certainty surrounding the local economy, businesses feel able to invest in staff, plant and machinery. However there is still room to grow, as the number of organisations operating at full capacity remains low. Inflation remains a concern for all sectors, as is does the difficulties in recruiting staff.

The vitality of the Norwich retail sector continues and unemployment figures across the region fell, with Great Yarmouth reporting JSA Claimants at their lowest levels since 2005. With an upward trending local economy and continued business confidence, the future looks positive for Norfolk and the East of England.”

Norfolk Key findings in the BCC Q2 2014 QES:

• Manufacturing figures for domestic and export sales and orders improved
• Service sector figures from domestic and export sales and order also increased
• Both sectors reported improved confidence in profitability and cashflow balances strengthened
• Both sectors indicated their intention to recruit in the next 3 months
• Manufacturers operating at full capacity dipped considerably from 31% to 17%. Similarly the service sector reported a reduction in those operating at full capacity from 43% to 39%.
• Concern regarding interest rates was noted by both the Norfolk service sector and manufacturers. This was also reflected at a regional and national level.

Rail passengers and businesses across Norfolk Suffolk and Essex, are today being urged to join the campaign calling on Government for greater investment in the Great Eastern Main Line.

New Anglia LEP, the region’s MPs, Chambers of Commerce, business and rail leaders are heading a Taskforce calling for a faster, more reliable service on the London to Norwich line including:

• Significant investment in track infrastructure
• Better trains and a higher quality travelling experience
• Greater capacity with more seats and more carriages

The overall goal is to achieve London to Norwich in 90, Ipswich in 60, Colchester in 40 and Chelmsford in 25 minutes.

The Taskforce will report to Government in November, making the strong economic case for investment in the line. With support for the campaign gaining momentum across the region, today the Great Eastern Rail Campaign is launched, calling on commuters, businesses and all rail users to get behind the cause and sign up to register their support via the new websiteand follow the campaign on twitter with #gerailcampaign.

Click here to register your support for the Great Eastern Rail Campaign

The campaign is already ‘backed by business’ with Norfolk Chamber members already signed up in support. These include leading businesses such as Aviva; John Lewis, Norwich; Caterham Technology; First Bus Eastern Counties; Broadland Wineries; Thermaglow and many others, as well as local authorities and businesses from Suffolk and Essex.

Mark Pendlington, chairman of New Anglia LEP and co-chairman of the Great Eastern Main Line Rail Taskforce, said: “Today is a rallying call for all those who want a better rail service across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. For too long East Anglia has suffered from under investment in our rail network. Let’s make our voice heard loud and clear to influence Government and get the rail service the three counties need and deserve.”

“The Great Eastern Main Line is fundamental to the region’s future growth. A better, faster service will provide vital employment opportunities for commuters, attract further inward investment, making this a much more accessible and mobile economy where it’s easier for us to do business, and boost tourism by ensuring more tourists can visit and spend their money in the local economy.”

“The Government is committed to improving train links across the UK. We need to show them how vital rail investment is for our region. The people of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex can help us do that by signing up to our campaign today.”

Independent research suggests that significant enhancements to capacity, line speed and service quality on the GEML would bring an economic benefit of around £3.4 billion to the region.*

Jonathan Cage, Managing Director of Create Consulting Engineers and Vice President of Norfolk Chamber said: “I am fully in support of the Great Eastern Rail Campaign, investment is well overdue in the Eastern region in both rail infrastructure and rolling stock. The franchise operators do their best with aged trains, carriages and infrastructure giving them a clean and a paint every few years. However what they can’t do with paint is to increase the speed, frequency and general reliability. This needs significant investment both by the DfT and Railtrack.

Many businesses operating in today’s economic climate aim to be sustainable. They need to maximise the use of trains for long distance business journeys. It is therefore essential that trains compete with the car on price, speed and reliability. To achieve this it is imperative that we achieve the goals being set by the Great Eastern Rail Campaign.”

Today (Friday July 25th) the Taskforce is meeting in Ipswich to update stakeholders on their progress. This is the second of three wider stakeholder meetings to be held in each county prior to the November deadline. Following the meeting the Taskforce will then go to Ipswich station to hear from Abellio Greater Anglia on the progress they are making on updating and refurbishing trains with a viewing of a pilot up-graded commuter train used on the line between London, Chelmsford, Colchester and Clacton.

Key Facts

• East Anglia’s trains are some of the oldest on the network – the average age is 25.5 years
• By 2026 there will be an estimated additional 4,000 rail trips in the morning peak period on the GEML
• 30 million passenger journeys are made annually on the Great Eastern Main Line and over 11,000 services operate every 4 weeks (excluding Metro services south of Shenfield)
• Investment in the GEML will generate £3.4 billion in transport-related economic impacts and a further £280 million in wider impacts within the East of England*

*Figures from Atkins – design, engineering and project management consultancy – Great Eastern Main Line Study; The Economic Case for Investment on the Great Eastern Main Line 2010

The latest Bank of England Agent’s summary of business conditions for July 2014 has been released.

Key highlights include:

• Retail sales and consumer services values continued to grow at a steady rate
• Growth in manufacturing output for the domestic market and export markets increased
• Construction output grew strongly with growth expanding beyond house building
• Employment intentions rose and indicate further growth in the next 6 months.
• Consumer price inflation has remained subdued.

To read the full report click here.

Taking Part in Cromer Academy’s three day event “Broadening Horizons’, Chris Perry from the Norfolk Chamber spoke to a hundred your 10 students to explain what Apprenticeships really are and why they are a real alternative to traditional pathways.

With speakers from colleges, local training providers and Universities, the three day event has been organised with Careers advisor Melinda O’Connor to inspire the year 10’s to think out of the box and be proactive in planning for their future. The day was aimed at giving them all the current options available in the Norfolk region as well as the alternatives to the traditional progression pathways of university.

Chris Perry comments “It’s fantastic that Melinda and Cromer Academy are being really proactive in giving their young people all the options and encouraging thinking differently when it comes to planning their futures. This approach is vastly needed in the region and i hope that many other schools take up the challenge to invest in promoting a level playing field when it comes to giving carers advice.

With lots of young people in Norfolk there is still the perception that becoming a graduate is the only route to getting a good career and being successful. Apprenticeships for the vast majority are a 2nd choice , a fallback plan, which means that they are somehow the lesser option or worse still, that they are not even thought of as an option at all. Many still feel that apprenticeships are an option if you want to be in a physical trade such as plumbing or motor mechanics but that could not be farther from the truth. Last year, out of the 7000+ apprenticeship positions available, less than 15% where in hands on trade sectors but a whopping 75% where in the professional sectors such a Law, marketing, business admin and even enterprise. This shows that the options are endless and now more than ever businesses are prefereing to use apprenticeships to recruit young people ages 16-24.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is proud to sponsor the Norfolk Constabulary’s ‘Norfolk Safer Community Awards 2014’

Now entering its seventh year, the Norfolk Safer Community Awards offer people the opportunity to support the continuing efforts of the community and the Constabulary in helping to keep Norfolk a safer county to live, work and visit.

The awards combine internal recognition with local communities voting for officers they feel deserve an award for their contributions to their local community. Additionally, if people know of an exceptional individual or group who need to be thanked they are encouraged to nominate them for an award.

The Chief Constable’s Special Recognition Award is an opportunity for the Chief Constable to recognise the work of an individual or team where their contribution to delivering the Constabulary’s performance has been significant, yet under-recognised.

Nova Fairbank of the Norfolk Chamber said “We have been honoured to support the NOSCA awards for many years and we are extremely proud to continue to support the Chief Constable’s Special Recognition Award, as part of our partnership working with the Norfolk Constabulary”

“It goes without saying that the Norfolk Constabulary plays a vital part in maintaining the growth of the Norfolk economy by supporting part of what makes Norfolk such a fantastic place to live and grow a business.”

“When speaking to business Leaders that have relocated to Norfolk, many have remarked that the quality of life in Norfolk is a significant factor in their decision to settle here. This inward investment into the county is vital and through the hard work and dedication of our local police force, Norfolk is a safe and attractive community to do business in.”

Chief Constable Simon Bailey believes the Norfolk Safer Community Awards help recognise excellence from police officers and members of the community.

“In these times of financial challenge where we are having to deliver a high level of service with less funding it is pleasing to see so many people going above and beyond what is expected of them. I would urge you all to nominate and vote for those people from local communities through to police officers and police staff, who with their actions and words have made a difference to the area, we all live and work in.”

Two new categories have been added in 2014. The recipient of the Bravery Award will be chosen by the Chief Constable to recognise outstanding bravery in any walk of life. Members of the public will also be able to vote for the Norfolk ‘Police Dog of the Year’ category. Voting for this award will be carried out via Norfolk Constabulary’s Facebook page.

As before, readers of the Eastern Daily Press can choose their Community Officer of the Year, who are nominated by district commanders across Norfolk. Voting forms will be available in the paper and online shortly.

The three other categories that members of the public can nominate someone for are; The John (Cecil) Mason Volunteer of the Year, Young Citizen(s) of the Year and Community Citizen(s) of the Year.

Norfolk Safer Community Awards are funded by sponsorship from commercial and community partners.

Sponsors for 2014 include:

• Eastern Daily Press – Community Police Officers of the Year • Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk • Norfolk Chamber of Commerce • Shell UK Ltd • Dardan Security • Reed Specialist Recruitment • East of England Co-operative • Holiday Inn

Nominations can be received between 14 July and 15 August 2014. The winners and runners-up will be invited to a special awards evening taking place at Holiday Inn, Cromer Road, Norwich on Thursday 23 October 2014.

Full information about the awards and entry criteria is available on the new NOSCAs website along with online nomination forms for all categories www.noscas.co.uk

2014 Categories are:

1 Student Officer of the Year

2 Investigator of the Year

3 The John (Cecil) Mason Volunteer of the Year Award

4 The Reach Out Award

5 The Excellence Award

6 Young Citizen(s) of the Year

7 Problem Solver of the Year

8 Community Citizen(s) of the Year

9 The Chief Constable’s Special Recognition Award

10 The Bravery Award

11 Community Officer of the Year

• Police Officer (Jim Wilson Plate)

• Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)

• Special Constabulary Officer of the Year

12 Outstanding Team of the Year

13 Police Dog of the Year

14 Safer Neighbourhood Team of the Year

The Great Eastern Rail Campaign aims to deliver better, faster trains for Norfolk, Suffolk & Essex, with the goal of achieving Norwich in 90 minutes, Ipswich in 60, Colchester in 40 minutes and Chelmsford in 25 minutes.

As well as a faster and more reliable service the campaign is also aiming for a greater capacity to reduce over-crowding, significant investment in track infrastructure and a better travelling experience.

The Great Eastern Rail Taskforce is due to report back to the Government in November 2014, therefore the Norfolk Chamber has a four-month window of opportunity to champion the case for greater investment in our region’s main railway line and a real chance to influence Government and get results. We are surveying Norfolk businesses in advance of this report submission so that Chamber member’s views are included.

This survey will take no longer than two minutes to complete and your views are important! Click HERE to complete the survey.

With a vibrant PowerPoint, Rachael Shakespeare of Jungle PR gave delegates an enthusiastic presentation on public relations. She taught the delegates what PR is, along with what it isn’t: giving them information such as how any PR, whether good or bad, is better than none, as well as how to utilise bad PR. Rachael also spoke on press releases, coverage and most importantly; what PR can do for a business. Emma Raines of Example Marketing said: “it was good to have the opportunity to ask questions of an expert. I was able to get practical tips by asking questions throughout and at the end of the session.” Rachael’s 3 top tips for great PR would be to “be organised and strategic with a PR plan”, to “not be afraid of bad PR and use it as an opportunity”, and also to “give journalists everything on a plate”.

For more information on the work Jungle PR do, visit www.junglepr.com Series 4 of the Chamber Sessions is available to book with new and returning speakers ready to share their knowledge with you. For more information, please click here.

• BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey is the first major economic survey of the quarter, and is closely watched by the Bank of England and the Treasury
• The results from 7,000 UK businesses are positive overall and point to continued economic growth
• Most Norfolk key balances showed increases in Q2 2014
• For manufacturing and services, all the key Q2 balances are stronger than their long-term averages, and most are still higher than their 2007 pre-recession levels

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Tuesday) published its Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2014. The results, made up of responses from 7,000 UK businesses, show that the economy is still strong and moving in the right direction, with many key balances higher than they were before the recession.

Many of the Norfolk balances for manufacturing and services continued to strengthen from the last quarter. Whilst that national balances were slightly down this quarter, in comparison to the unexpected surge shown last quarter.

BCC Director General, John Longworth, says moderate declines of the pace of growth are ‘unsurprising’ given that the economy ‘jolted forward’ in the first quarter of the year. He applauds UK businesses for their continued ‘dedication, confidence and resilience’ but urges the Bank of England not to act prematurely on raising interest rates as this could ‘limit the growth ambitions among the very firms we are counting on to drive the recovery’.

Norfolk Key findings in the Q2 2014 Quarterly Economic Survey:

• In manufacturing, both home sales (40%) and orders (42%) as well as export sales (45%) and orders (48%) continued to remain at very positive levels. Confidence in profitability rose to 80%, however the number of manufacturers operating at full capacity dropped considerably from 31% to 17%. This shows that whilst the manufacturing sector continues to strengthen, there is still work to be done.
• In the service sector, again home orders (55%) and sales (48%) and export orders (72%) and sales (70%) continued their upwards trend. Service sector profitability confidence rose from 53% to 58%, but, similar to the manufacturing sector, those operating at full capacity dipped slightly from 43% to 39%.
• Both sectors reported increased concern regarding interest rates, this was reflected across the East of England and Nationally.
• Cashflow balances strengthened across both sectors. However the manufacturing balances are still lower than the national figures.
• Both sectors advised increased intention to recruit in the next 3 months.

Commenting on the results, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:

“Business confidence in Norfolk and across the East of England continues to grow. Many businesses are reporting strengthening order books for both UK and overseas sales. With increased certainty surrounding the local economy, businesses feel able to invest in staff, plant and machinery. However there is still room to grow, as the number of organisations operating at full capacity remains low. Inflation remains a concern for all sectors, as is does the difficulties in recruiting staff.

However, the vitality of the Norwich retail sector continues; with John Lewis Norwich holding 2nd place in the UK John Lewis store rankings for sales; and Castle Mall Norwich Shopping Centre reporting increased footfall of 3%. Unemployment figures across the Eastern region fell with, Great Yarmouth reporting JSA Claimants at their lowest levels since 2005. With an upward trending local economy and continued business confidence, the future looks positive for Norfolk and the East of England.”

Commenting on the results, John Longworth, Director General of the BCC, said:

“These are strong results that show the recovery is moving forward. Our members continue to do themselves proud by showing dedication, confidence and resilience. While we never like to report even modest declines in our investment and export balances, these are unsurprising, as the economy jolted forward last quarter and has now settled into a period of more stable growth. But we must still aim higher – great, long-term sustainable growth must be our ambition, and we should not settle for second best.

“Repairing our broken business finance system, which constrains access to credit for businesses with the potential to grow, must be a top priority. This will help to provide the building blocks for companies who can then look to take on additional staff, invest and grow.

“These results reinforce the case against the Bank of England making any hasty decisions on raising interest rates in the very short-term. By driving up the cost of credit for fast-growing firms, many of whom do not sit on the same healthy cash piles as their more established counterparts, early rate rises may mean more limited growth ambitions among the very firms we are counting on to drive the recovery. We must nurture the business confidence we are seeing at present by giving firms the security of working in a low interest rate environment for the foreseeable future – with eventual rises both moderate and predictable.

“As we enter a period of heightened political uncertainty, it is even more important to maintain a healthy and sustainable economic recovery. At this crucial stage of the economic cycle, the UK cannot afford populist decision-making that undermines strategic long-term decisions as this could jeopardise our national success in the years to come.”

David Kern, Chief Economist at the BCC, said:

“Although most key balances for Q2 are lower than the very strong figures seen in the first quarter, they remain high by historical standards. In our recent economic forecast, we predicted that quarterly GDP growth for Q2 would be 0.8%, with full-year growth of 3.1%. However, these results mean that risks of a downgrade have increased.

“The Q2 falls in all the export and investment balances act as a timely warning that although growth is stable, challenges facing our economic recovery still remain. Rises in sterling are making UK exports more expensive. Uncertainties around early interest rate increases are adding to the difficulties, and our excessively large current account deficit poses potential risks. UK growth cannot permanently rely on rising consumer spending, which is driven by a buoyant housing market, and on excessive household debt. Unless investment and net exports make bigger contributions to growth, the recovery could stall.

“Both the government and the MPC must make every effort to stimulate enterprise and wealth creation. On its part, the MPC must restore clarity to its forward guidance and reassure business that from next year they will face only gradual rather than sudden change. With inflation well below target and earnings still rising by less than one per cent per year, the risks to the recovery from raising rates prematurely are much greater than the risks of waiting a little longer.”