Chamber News

Norwich City Council has produced a draft Statement of community involvement and they are asking for your views on this Statement.

The Statement of community involvement (SCI) is the Norwich City Council’s code of practice on how people can expect to be involved in the planning process. It covers the production of different types of planning policy documents, and the different stages for each one. It is also concerned with how people should expect to be involved in the planning application process.

Norwich City Council’s current SCI was adopted in March 2010, however there have been significant changes to the overall planning system and the new SCI reflects the most up-to-date legislation and regulation changes. The new SCI also proposes a more streamlined approach to consultation and greater flexibility in terms of dealing with future legislation changes.

This is your opportunity to have your say. The draft document is available to view at the Planning Reception on the 2nd floor of City Hall and also in the Millennium Library at the Forum. You can also provide your feedback by completing the response form and emailing it to [email protected].

The consultation period will end at 5pm on 19 February 2013 and all responses must be received before this time.

Now is the opportunity to have your say on EDF Energy’s early plans to build a new nuclear power station, Sizewell C.

This Stage 1 Consultation is your first opportunity to look at EDF’s initial proposals and options and give them some feedback on the work so far.

EDF Energy have produced a special consultation edition newsletter which details about the development site, the construction phases and EDF Energy’s plans for housing and transporting the large numbers of people needed to build Sizewell C. It also provides an initial outline of their aims to reduce the volume of freight on the roads by using alternative forms of freight transport.

EDF Energy will be holding public exhibitions, for you to view their plans and also to speak to EDF Energy representatives. The dates of the Public Exhibitions are listed on the attached newsletter. You can also feed directly into the consultation by completing the online questionnaire. The consultation period will close on 6 February 2013.

Commenting on the appointment of current Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney as the future Governor of the Bank of England, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce , said:

“The new Governor of the Bank of England will take office at a crucial time for both the UK and global economies. As the Bank takes on greater supervision of Britain’s financial services sector, and in particular our major lending banks, we hope that the new Governor will focus relentlessly on supporting business growth across the UK – not just in the Square Mile.

“In particular, the new Governor must work closely with the Treasury to find ways to boost the supply of credit to new and growing businesses. We hope that Mark Carney will also play an instrumental role in bringing a British Business Bank to life – something that Canadian SMEs have benefited from for many decades.”

Train operator Greater Anglia is working with The Cloud to introduce free Wi-Fi at 100 stations across the region.

The service will be rolled out over the next few months, meaning visitors at train stations including Cambridge, Norwich and Stansted Airport will be able to access the fast, free internet connection for anything from email access to web browsing.

The project comes as Greater Anglia continues to enhance the service it offers its customers and deliver on its franchise commitments, from improved information provision to station facilities and train services.

Greater Anglia’s Customer Service Director Andrew Goodrum said: “Since taking over the franchise in February we have been focusing our efforts on improving customer service. Offering our customers free Wi-Fi is an important part of this as we recognise that the internet is a vital part of people’s everyday lives. We are seeing a huge number of passengers using mobile devices and wanted to provide them with a fast, reliable Wi-Fi so they can work, shop or browse easily. Working with The Cloud, we’ll be able to achieve this and immediately make a positive impact on our customers’ journeys.” Great Anglia manages some of the UK’s busiest stations, by using The Cloud’s free Wi-Fi, Greater Anglia customers will experience much faster browsing times than previously afforded by 3G.

Vince Russell, managing director at The Cloud, said: “By rolling out free Wi-Fi, Greater Anglia is further improving the service it provides to its customers. We have seen usage on our network increase at an unprecedented pace in the last two years, and it shows no sign of slowing down. Our unique user-base has doubled over the past 6 months showing there’s a real demand for Wi-Fi at busy high street locations and transport hubs around the UK. To keep their customers satisfied, Greater Anglia needs a fast and reliable internet connection, which The Cloud Wi-Fi will provide; ensuring each person passing through the stations can enjoy the best journey possible.”

Greater Anglia customers will see The Cloud service is available on their Wi-Fi enabled devices, which will enable them to use the Wi-Fi, for free, for one hour a day at the participating stations. BSkyB customers will have free unlimited access to the Wi-Fi at participating Greater Anglia stations.

Over 150 Norfolk businesses attended the Norfolk Chambers’ Unlocking Success Business Conference, held at OPEN on 23 November, to hear expert advice from business and industry professionals to help them ‘unlock success’ in their business – and it didn’t disappoint! Delegates comprising of the most influential business leaders from the region learnt the secrets of success from speakers who both inspired and motivated their audience.

The event was hosted by ITV Anglia’s Business Correspondent, Matthew Hudson who expertly guided the day’s packed programme of knowledgeable speakers. Delegates representing a variety of business sizes and industry sectors heard from Martyn Pellew, President of the British Chambers of Commerce, about the challenges facing the UK economy and what the BCC are doing to help businesses and stimulate growth.

Rob Mears, Managing Director of Bernard Matthews UK and Robert Ashton, The Barefoot Entrepreneur talked of unlocking success as a Norfolk business, how being based in the county has proved advantageous and how the entrepreneurial spirit is still strong for Norfolk businesses.

The delegates heard opening statements from both South West Norfolk MP, Elizabeth Truss and Shadow Minister Chi Onwurah MP. Following the statements, the delegates were asked to vote for which topic they would like the MPs to discuss. The two most popular choices, with 30% of the vote each, were ‘how do we encourage entrepreneurship among young people?’ and ‘business needs top-class infrastructure to grow – how can we address this challenge?’

Liz Truss said young people should be armed with basic skills such as mathematics and science and advised that the Government wanted to ensure that the schools had the freedom to teach in new and exciting ways and be able collaborate with local businesses at a much earlier stage to ensure the future workforce had the necessary skills. She also highlighted that funding was now in place for improving broadband and the dualling of the A11 was underway.

Chi Onwurah said the encouraging entrepreneurship in young people was absolutely key. She highlighted that this generation was the first generation not to be able to expect a better standard of living than previous generations. Young people need to be encouraged to see setting up a business as a viable option and there was a need to enthuse the education system with entrepreneurial spirit. She also advised that infrastructure was essential to creating an economic platform for investment.

The Conference closed with a internationally recognised motivational speaker and author, Mark Rhodes, who shared with delegates how he has achieved every goal he has ever set himself and how they can do the same for what they want to achieve in their business.

Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said “At a time when we hear a lot of doom and gloom it was great to be truly inspired by our speakers today about how to unlock success. The atmosphere in the room was buzzing with business being done within the networking breaks. We are so fortunate to have loyal members able and willing to sponsor these event to enable them to be able to really help the wider Norfolk business community”

The event sponsors, Norse Commercial Services and TEN Group, both agreed the conference was essential for motivation businesses in a time of austerity;

Peter Hawes, Managing Director of Norse said “Amid these highly challenging economic conditions, it is vitally important that Norfolk businesses are creative and imaginative in finding new ways of unlocking success. This conference has encouraged a spirit of enterprise, explored fresh ways of working and offered tips and advice from experts who really know what makes businesses tick. As a dynamic Norfolk-based business, a major employer and a passionate believer in the importance of innovative thinking, Norse is delighted to have played a key role in such a high-profile gathering.”

Dick Palmer, Group CEO of TEN Group said “Unlocking Success is a timely theme for all those seeking creative and effective solutions to the constraints and opportunities before us in a climate of austerity – for the established business community in Norfolk, for start-ups and entrepreneurs, as well as for those in the public and voluntary sectors.”

Norfolk County Council has recently published an infrastructure update which gives the latest news and progress on key infrastructure projects like the dualling of the A11, improvements to broadband and rail, details of the ‘Transport for Norwich’ strategy, an update on what is happening with the A47 and Norwich Airport. The highlights are given below:

A11 – Fiveways to Thetford Improvement The contractor, Birse is expected to commence on the Fiveways Roundabout in mid-January 2013. For the duration of the main works a 40mph speed limited will be in place. There will be limited capacity through the junctions for an 8 week period with diversion routes to reduce traffic levels.

The B1112 was fully closed from 15 October to 5 November to allow for junction improvements, as this will be one of the diversion routes whilst Fiveways is being upgraded.

The improvement works will also require some tree felling and the routes highlighted below will be closed overnight from 8pm until 6am on the following dates:

• B1112 to Elveden Crossroads 13 – 14 November 2012
• Elveden Crossroads to Thetford Roundabout 20 – 21 November 2012

To see the full progress of the improvements to the A11, a public exhibition will be held in Elveden Village Hall from 22 to 24 November 2012.

The overall construction duration is expected to be 20 months with a planned completion date of 2014.

Transport for Norwich Government funding of £86.5m has been secured for the Northern Distributor Road (NDR). Norfolk County Council Cabinet has approved proposals for the NDR to be a dual carriageway from Postwick to the A1067. The Postwick Hub has been given planning permission and work is due to start later in 2013, subject to the completion of a Public Inquiry into the side roads and slip roads.

Work on a range of Transport for Norwich implementation measures has begun:

Dereham Road Bus Rapid Transport Corridor: Construction works to improve the Old Palace Road junction will commence in January, following utility works.

Better Bus Area Programme: The Grapes Hill Bus Lane Consultation has been completed and a report will now be considered by the Norwich Highways Agency Committee (NHAC) on 29 November. If the proposals are successful work will commence in April 2013.

Other improvements being considered as part of the Better Bus Area programme are new electronic signage at key transport interchanges; improved interchanges between bus and rail at Norwich railway station; and bus shelter enhancements along Dereham Road / Newmarket Road.

Consultations are underway (5 November to 3 December) on the removal of general traffic from St Stephens and Surrey Street and improvements to Chapelfield North, with the results going to the NHAC in January 2013.

A47 Corridor An A47 Prospectus is due to be published this month setting out the business case for improvements. It will be launched by Norfolk MP Keith Simpson driving the Norfolk stretch of the A47 in his Union Jack mini, from the west of the county, via the Showground, to Great Yarmouth. The journey will be filmed from within the car to compile a short film giving a driver’s eye perspective of the A47. The launch has been timed to coincide with the A47 Alliance sending a delegation to Westminster to present the business case to the new Roads Minister, Stephen Hammond MP on 26 November 2012.

Work is taking place in 2012/2013 to identify improvement schemes for the A47 Thickthorn and Longwater junctions to accommodate the growth that is projected by the Greater Norwich Development Partnership’s Joint core Strategy and work is also being done with the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk to identify which junctions/links will need to be improved to accommodate growth in and around King’s Lynn.

The Government’s Pinch-Point programme provides funding for schemes that are designed to relieve congestion and spur economic growth through small-scale schemes on the trunk road network. £1.3m has been approved for the Honningham expressway. The scheme will be constructed over the next 2/3 years, although no detailed programme is available at present.

£40m of the Pinch-Point funding is still to be allocated and Norfolk County Council has submitted bids for: the A12 Beacon Park; A12 James Padget and Bridge Road, Great Yarmouth; A149 ASDA junction right turn; and improvements at the B1108/A47 Norwich Research Park junction. A decision on these schemes is expected in the New Year.

Rail Improvements The Norfolk Rail Prospectus was launched on 4 October and the event was well attended by Norfolk MPs, local businesses and stakeholders from the rail industry and local authorities. At present a consultation is ongoing until 16 November.

In July this year the Government issued a High Level Output Statement, setting out high level objectives required from rail, together with announcements about larger schemes to be delivered between 2014 and 2019. The Ely junction was included in the announcement. Norfolk County Council continues to work with the Government and the rail industry, as the detailed spending programme is drawn up by Network Rail.

Atkins have now completed their consultation work to identify how to deliver more capacity and faster journeys from Norwich, via Ipswich and Colchester to London. Work is ongoing with Essex and Suffolk County Councils and New Anglia LEP to get their recommendations included in rail investment programmes.

Better Broadband for Norfolk BT was approved as the project partner for this scheme in September 2012. The BT bid met the County Council’s ambitions of providing broadband access (a minimum of 2 megabits per second) to every property in the county and superfast (24Mbps+) to most. 83% of Norfolk properties will be able to receive superfast broadband by June 2015 – this is double the number that would be able to receive it by this date without the BT deal. BT will install an ‘open’ infrastructure – this will allow any Internet Service Provider to offer services on it and customers will have the choice of who to purchase their Broadband from. The contract is due to be signed this Autumn, with installation work beginning in Spring.

Norwich International Airport Andrew Bell, the CEO of Norwich International Airport (NIA) is looking at ways that the local business community can work with NIA to promote and increase business travel. The airport needs help to get businesses to identify needs and opportunities, as it must present robust businesses cases to airlines when trying to attract them to open new routes. Norfolk County Council will shortly launch a survey to assess current and future potential travel needs.

The recent report from the Bank of England highlights that the UK economy has barely grown over the last 2 years, as it has laboured against the consequences of the financial crisis and its impact on global demand, a sharp squeeze in domestic spending power and a necessary fiscal consolidation. To view the full report, please click here.

Oil and gas developments in East Africa are creating new business development opportunities for SMEs. The Africa Business Centre is organising a five-day trade mission during March 2013, for UK based SMEs.

It will provide a comprehensive introduction to oil and gas opportunities in Uganda and Tanzania via briefings and meetings with key government and commercial contacts. The aim is to equip delegates with all relevant information and contacts to support their future entry to the market.

For more information, please contact the Africa Business Centre directly:

Africa Business Centre Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce The Hub Exploration Drive, Aberdeen Energy Park Aberdeen AB23 8GX

Tel: 01224 343 928 Email: [email protected]

For more details on the trip, take a look at their website.

At a recent West Norfolk Chamber Council meeting, a lively discussion was held on topics ranging from broadband and the regeneration of the town centre, to increasing Chamber engagement with the local business community.

The members agreed that more effort should be made to highlight the positive aspects of doing business in West Norfolk and discussed how to ensure the West Norfolk business voice is heard. They decided on a dialogue exercise with Chamber members based in West Norfolk. The Chamber Council will take a cross-section of West Norfolk Chamber members and hold one-to-one conversations with them as to what their main issues are, how the Chamber can engage further with these members, and what we can all do to create economic prosperity in West Norfolk.

Heather Garrod, President of West Norfolk Chamber Council said “it is important that the business community plays an active part in helping to promote economic growth in West Norfolk. Engaging on a one-to-one basis with local businesses will contribute towards the ‘voice of West Norfolk business’ being heard at a local, regional and national level.”

The West Norfolk Chamber Council members also highlighted that improved broadband in West Norfolk is an essential tool to promote economic growth and will help level the playing field for SMEs. Currently, the larger organisations can afford to install fibre-optic cables to their business premises however, for smaller organisations this cost prohibitive. Over the next 12 to 18 months BT will be improving access to broadband and are currently rolling out fibre-optic cabling in Clenchwarton and West Lynn. West Norfolk Chamber Council members are keen to see that businesses throughout West Norfolk benefit from the anticipated broadband improvements.

The King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council’s Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) was debated. This initiative involves the regeneration of the town by linking the retail core with the historic town centre. This regeneration will be fundamental in improving what King’s Lynn has to offer and will help attract both tourism and business to the area and the West Norfolk Chamber Council is in full support of this project.

If you are a West Norfolk Chamber member and want to be involved in the dialogue exercise, please contact Nova Fairbank on Tel: 01603 729713 or Email: [email protected].

OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIA

Venue: Norfolk Chamber Office Date: Thursday 29 November 2012 Time: 3.00pm-5.00pm Have you considered India as an export market for your business? Join us for an in depth briefing, to learn more about a multi-sector delegation to Western India during January 2013. The UK India Business Council is leading the delegation with support from both Suffolk and Norfolk Chambers of Commerce. Kevin McCole, Chief Operating Officer of the UK India Business Council, is travelling to Norwich to brief all local businesses, who would like to know more about this exciting mission. Please see our flyer for further information. This briefing is FREE to attend but delegates must book in advance in order to attend. To book your place, please email: [email protected]

Representatives from both Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council attended a recent meeting of the Norwich Chamber Council to present the proposed improvements planned for St Stephens Street and the Chapelfield North Area and to listen to the comments from the members of the Norwich Chamber Council.

The aim of the proposed improvements is to create a better transport system for future of Norwich city centre, with improved access for buses, cycles and pedestrians. The proposals will still allow cars to access all current car parking facilities, however the access routes to these car parks may alter. The proposals would also change pedestrian flows around Chapelfield Gardens and cycle routes would be improved from the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and the University to the city centre.

At present, statistics show that over a 12 hour period 3,000 vehicles access St Stephens Street. The aim will be to reduce this number by: a) removing the general car traffic, of which the majority is using St Stephens Street as a route to another destination; and b) diluting the number of buses by changing the bus traffic flows. The public consultation for these improvements is currently underway and will close on 3 December 2012. For full details and to have your say visit the Chamber Consultation page.

Norwich Chamber Council members highlighted concerns that at present car drivers seem to be more willing to stop at pedestrian crossings than bus drivers. If general traffic was removed from St Stephens Street, would this cause increased safety worries for pedestrians trying to cross? Members queried whether the increased bus traffic and the change in general traffic flows would affect the ‘drop off’ for the Free School on Surrey Street, which is located at the bus station?

They also highlighted that for parents with young children and for those in the city for business purposes, access to the city centre by bus was not always practical. Therefore continued access to the car parks was essential, especially as Norfolk is a predominantly rural county and cars are essential to those without access to decent public transport links.

The latest meeting of the Great Yarmouth Chamber Council, was chaired by the new President of Great Yarmouth Chamber Council, John Morse from Gardline, at which the members debated how best to ‘talk up’ Great Yarmouth.

It was agreed that more effort should be made to highlight the positive aspects of doing business in Great Yarmouth. Cllr Trevor Wainwright, Leader of the Great Yarmouth Borough Council emphasised that the Cabinet was very keen to work alongside the business community to drive economic growth in Great Yarmouth. One suggestion was a summit meeting to be held in the New Year to create a plan of action that will encompass two key objectives: support for local businesses and support for inward investment into Great Yarmouth.

Great Yarmouth Chamber Council members also decided on a dialogue exercise with Chamber members based in Great Yarmouth. The Chamber Council will take a cross-section of Great Yarmouth Chamber members and hold one-to-one conversations with them as to what their main concerns are, how the Chamber can engage further with these members, and what we can all do to create economic prosperity in Great Yarmouth.

John Morse said “I believe that it is important for the Great Yarmouth Chamber Council to lend its weight and full commitment to a process of enthusiastic regeneration of Great Yarmouth, and we will now take an active lead in this process, on behalf of businesses in the town”

If you are a Great Yarmouth Chamber member and want to be involved in the dialogue exercise, please contact Nova Fairbank on Tel: 01603 729713 or Email: [email protected].