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The 116th Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting was held at Dunston Hall Hotel on Friday 5th October 2012. The event was well attended and the finalised minutes can be viewed by clicking on the attachment.

Members of Great Yarmouth Chamber Council, together with Cabinet members of Great Yarmouth Borough Council met recently to discuss the private and public sector working in partnership to promote economic growth.

The meeting, held at Great Yarmouth Town Hall, covered topics such as: broadband: road infrastructure, including the third river crossing; inward investment; the Enterprise Zone; and tourism.

John Morse, President of Great Yarmouth Chamber said “We are delighted that there is now a much closer engagement between the public and private sectors, working together with a clear aim of developing Great Yarmouth into a vibrant place in which to do business. Going forward, we eagerly look forward to working with the Cabinet to convert dialogue into practical solutions and to maximize employment opportunities in the town.”

As the Membership manager of the Norfolk Chamber, getting out there and experiencing the innovation of our Chamber members is always eye opening and inspiring but sometimes i do get to have a bit of fun in the process. Today I was invited to attend Ride and Drive day with Dingles Toyota at Sprowston Manor and experience two cars that sit at either end of their range.

First up was the Prius Plug-in

One of Toyota’s true electric cars. In support of the green economy, it’s not hard to see why 85% Toyotas fleet market is made up of sub 100g/km cars when in

Norfolk the awareness of the Green Agenda is growing daily. Reducing you businesses carbon footprint has now become a critical part of lots of our member’s businesses plans and every time I visit a business they are keen to tell me how they work hard in reducing costs and thinking working hard and becoming more sustainable. Those that have a fleet of company cars can dramatically reduce costs and carbon emissions by investing in hybrid technology and this car with CO2 emissions of just 49g/km and an astounding 134 mpg is one of the many sustainable solutions to reducing a fleet’s carbon footprint and saving fuel costs. With the emergence of more and more plug in points throughout Norfolk this type of hybrid will be seen more and more on our streets and hopefully in the fleets of our businesses looking to cut down on that all important Carbon footprint.

Second up was GT86.

Yes my job does have its perks and getting to drive Toyota’s long awaited performance car is certainly up there with the best of them. Yes the little boy in me made me take this out on the road for a spin and you can instantly see why the whole point of this car is to be fun to drive. You can’t help but grin ear to ear as

you pull away from the tree lined drive of Sprowston manor and hear the growl of the 2.0 litre Boxer engine and watch as the electronic speedometer hurtles through the numbers to 60 mph in just 7.6 seconds. There is a bit of a strange anomaly with this car as for some unknown reason the earth’s gravitational pull seems to have a dramatic effect of your right foot as soon as you get in.

Although not in exactly in line with the green economy, this is an example of car manufacture catering for all types of driver and although you would want to drive a Hybrid for work, you would want a GT86 in your garage at home.

So In my last few months I have experienced helicopters, steam-trains and cars, so what’s next in line for my excisions into the diverse Norfolk business community’s offerings? There is so much to choose from so one can only wait and see.

The much-promised legacy of the 2012 Olympics may appear much further afield than East London, with news that UK companies are already winning big contracts for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

According to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, London’s successful summer of sport has put UK firms in the box seat to win contracts with future international events.

So far, 22 British companies have won 36 contracts for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games (all to be held in Brazil), which together amount to over £70 million.

Projects include urban and transport planning for nine World Cup host cities, the Olympic Park master plan design contract, and communications and IT facilities.

Prime Minister David Cameron has led a trade mission of 58 companies to Brazil, where he brought British companies together with key decision-makers in Rio 2016 at a special summit on hosting sporting events.

Britain wants to make the most of its experience as hosts of London 2012 to strengthen its relationship with Brazil and deliver an economic legacy for the UK, he explained.

Research published by Deloitte reveals that more than a quarter of British firms (28%) believe the successful delivery of London 2012 will help UK firms boost their exports to the host countries of future major events.

The research also found that 50% of companies feel the Games have increased confidence in British companies’ ability to deliver large infrastructure projects.

Belgium may not be as well known as some other global markets, but it is an open and dynamic export market for British goods and services, and the most globalised country in the world . You wouldn’t guess that this country of 11 million people with three official languages is also the UK’s 6th largest trading partner in the world, with UK exports worth £12.7bn in 2012 – more than India and China put together!

Compact, close and affluent, Belgium is a great starting point to build your business across all of Europe. It’s just over two hours by Eurostar to Brussels or a short and hassle free hop from the wonderful London City Airport to Antwerp.

“It is an ideal place for the first time exporter and a great stepping stone to the rest of Europe” says Jonathan Brenton, HM Ambassador to Belgium, “English is widely accepted, and there are quick and easy communications and connections with the UK and the rest of mainland Europe”.

As a market place, the country is full of opportunities, especially for small and medium-sized business. Belgians value good life and place a premium on non-price factors such as design, quality, delivery, and after sales service. British exports to Belgium powered ahead by 9% over the past year, the highest increase for any EU market. Key sectors include chemicals, ICT, renewable energy and healthcare.

The Golden Bridge Award 2012 is a new annual award for the most successful UK businesses exporting to Belgium. Open to both service and manufacturing companies, the awards celebrate the success of UK businesses in the Belgian market, and give British products and services a higher profile at the heart of the EU.

For further information about the Golden Bridge awards, please contact:

Joanna De Keyeser Business Development Executive British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium Boulevard Bischoffsheim 11 1000 Brussels T +32 (0) 2 613 28 53 E [email protected]

Or visit:www.britcham.be

This week saw a Westminster Hall debate on business rates, with the Chamber network’s position on this key business issue being cited by Peter Aldous MP. The Minister for Business and Enterprise, Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, also welcomed the British Chamber of Commerce’s supply chain report which highlights the continued problem of late payment to businesses. It was also announced this week that Stephen Metcalfe MP and Andrea Leadsom MP have secured a debate on the floor of the House of Commons to help small and medium-sized businesses by highlighting the problem of late payment in the supply chain of public sector contracts. The Chamber will be working to ensure that our members’ concerns are raised during this debate.

The Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill, which will enable the government to guarantee up to £40 billion of investment in infrastructure, and up to £10 billion of new homes, received Royal Assent this week.

The next reading of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill is expected next week, which contains several positive measures around planning and infrastructure. The Chamber is also expecting the important Energy Bill – which will reform the electricity market to make nuclear and renewable more attractive to investors – early next week.

Commenting on Lord Heseltine’s independent review of UK competitiveness, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“Lord Heseltine’s analysis of the state of the UK economy is compelling. Businesses will welcome his call for steady, long-term thinking to improve the UK’s economic performance. Yet Heseltine’s prescription for action focuses too much on institutions, rather than on the fundamental barriers to business growth.

“Ministers should think carefully before committing to a restructuring of government, and focus first on the key constraints facing the real economy: the availability of growth finance, practical help for our exporters, our creaking physical infrastructure, and an education and training system that responds to business needs. Government can best support enterprise by collaborating with business to get the basics right.”

On Lord Heseltine’s recommendation that Chambers of Commerce play an expanded role in business support and local growth:

“We welcome the fact that Lord Heseltine has recognised that Chambers of Commerce are local, resilient, independent, internationally-focused and pro-active in their communities. We are pleased that he believes Chambers can continue to play a central part in making local growth happen.

“Lord Heseltine makes a range of recommendations that, in his view, would help bolster Chambers’ ability to serve local business. We will be studying these recommendations carefully and discussing their implications with Chamber members, the government, and other business organisations in the weeks and months ahead.”

On business access to finance:

“As long-standing campaigners for a British Business Bank, it is helpful that Lord Heseltine’s report acknowledges the fact that there is a structural problem around long-term, patient loan finance in Britain and that the Business Bank offers a possible solution. This is a much more fundamental issue for UK competitiveness and growth than the structure of government.”

On exports:

“Lord Heseltine argues that Britain’s competitors have a more systematic, joined-up approach to exporting and international trade, involving both government and business organisations. “This is a critical issue for our global competitiveness, and we are working actively with Lord Green on ways to better use Chambers of Commerce at home and across the world to provide British exporters with the best possible support to break into new markets.”

On skills and training:

“Lord Heseltine is right to highlight the fact that the education and training system doesn’t currently deliver to employers’ needs. Chambers of Commerce stand ready to link employers to local schools and other training providers to ensure that British businesses can compete globally.”

On decentralisation away from Westminster and Whitehall:

“Local businesspeople across England tell me they would like more influence over local growth and economic development. Many companies in the real economy will agree with Lord Heseltine’s view that England is over-centralised, and that power, money and real decision-making need to be rebalanced away from Westminster and Whitehall.”

It is 7 months since the launch of the Youth Contract, which means that the first cohort of employers will have earned their full 6-month subsidy of £2,275. The Norfolk Chamber would like to hear from businesses about their experiences of using the Youth Contract and barriers preventing greater participation. To submit your views, please contact [email protected]. We have also produced a brief, employer-friendly communication explaining the Youth Contract and how to find out more information, which can be found below:

Do you want to give a young person a chance to prove themselves in your business and claim a Government subsidy? With youth unemployment still unacceptably high, thousands of talented young people are available to help your company, but can’t get a first step on the ladder.The Youth Contract provides support to employers to create nearly half a million new jobs or work placements by 2015.

Three opportunities:

• Wage Incentives: Hire an unemployed young person for at least 6 months through the Youth generation of talent and test a potential new member of your team at a reduced cost.
• Work Experience: Offer voluntary unpaid work experience to an 18-24 year old for 2-8 weeks without the hassle of recruitment. Support a local young person to get a real taste of a private business and learn new skills. You may even decide you want to keep them on. Contract and receive a £2,275 wage incentive (£1,137.50 for p/t position). Help develop the next
• Hire an Apprentice aged 16-24 and receive £1,500 from Government (if you have fewer than 1000 employees and have not employed an Apprentice in the last 12 months). The Government will also pay 100% of training fees for 16-18 year olds and 50% for 19-24 year olds. Apprentices are an investment in the future skills and growth of your business, and offer a great way to increase staff loyalty.

Further information:

For the wage incentive or to offer work experience:

Jobcentre Plus on 0845 601 2001 (option 2) or textphone 0845 601 2002 for people with speech or hearing impairments.

For a £1,500 Apprenticeship Grant:

• Apprenticeships Norfolk Phoneline: 0344 800 8024 for further advice and how to proceed
• Apprenticeships Norfolk Website: www.norfolk.gov.uk/apprenticeships
• Call the National Apprenticeship Service: 08000 150 600

At a recent meeting of the Chamber Planning and Development Group, members noted that whilst the planning and development market is still very challenging, improvements could be seen over the third quarter, in comparison to the previous quarters.

Members advised that a larger quantity of planning consultancy work is being undertaken at present but, of the projects that achieve planning, very few are actually progressing to ‘breaking ground’ The most active area of the market appears to be residential, with high quality sites selling well within the City and its suburbs.

Other public sector construction work such as education and health schemes are still ongoing and effectively providing much of the work for the contracting industry in the area. Development finance is still not readily available and there is little appetite for new strategic development sites (1,000+ units) over and above those already identified, but smaller sites (50-100 units) seem to be more viable. Clients are also being more realistic in their expectations of the work required and the fees involved.

“The market is still very challenging, however there does appear to be a glimmer of light, with some small sparks of interest in the commercial sector, clearly we need a focussed effort to ensure that the City makes the most of the limited opportunities to attract inward investment. A large number of the available sites in the City are either distressed or are tied down with financial restrictions. It is important that a real private and public sector partnership is developed to concentrate our efforts in finding ways to unlock these sites” said Jonathan Cage Chair of the Chamber Planning & Development Group and Managing Director of Create Consulting.

Also debated at the meeting was the proposed closure of St Stephens and what would happen to the surrounding area and re-routed traffic. The Group believed it was essential that before any decisions are made with respect to removing cars from St Stephens that a detailed appraisal had been undertaken on how this would impact on other routes. It was generally considered that removing cars on their own would not make that much of a difference and believed that the current level of bus usage of this area was causing a greater impact on pedestrians and businesses.

It was also noted the Inspector’s findings from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Examination, which was held on 16 October will be known within the next few weeks. The Chamber Planning Group made representations to the Inquiry, requesting that any CIL charge be set at a sensible level that would not prevent development coming forward. This will impact on any potential development proposal being undertaken within the County. Once the Inspector’s findings have been made public then we will update the chamber membership.

Elveden Village Hall, Elveden Village, Norfolk IP24 3TJ

Thursday 22 November, Friday 23 November and Saturday 24 November 2012

The Highways Agency invites you to attend an exhibition about the upgrade works to improve the A11 between Fiveways and Thetford roundabout.

The exhibition will be held at Elveden Village Hall and will be open to the public on Thursday 22 November 3pm to 8pm, Friday 23 November 10am to 8pm and Saturday 24 November 10am to 3pm.

Members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions and take into consideration any comments you may have.

If you would like to find out more about the improvement works please visit:https://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a11-fiveways-to-thetford-…

“The news this week that Norfolk Chamber member joint venture ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) and Vattenfall, the developers of East Anglia Offshore Wind (EAOW), and the companies behind a major wind farm scheme planned off East Anglia’s coast have already invested £6.65million in the region through local contracts, is the news we all want to hear” says Norfolk Chamber CEO Caroline Williams “There will be considerable opportunities for Norfolk and Suffolk businesses in particular and the two Chambers will be working together to ensure that their members are well informed”

EAOW programme director Andy Paine said that where possible, they were trying to use local contractors to ensure the region benefits as much as possible from jobs and investment as a result of the scheme.

“With the help and support of local contractors, East Anglia Offshore Wind is making strong progress and we are on schedule to lodge our first application for consent this year,” he said.

We anticipate there will be further opportunities for businesses in the region as the East Anglia ONE windfarm progresses through its consenting, construction and operational phases.”

EAOW has already placed a number of contracts with companies in the region and that over the last two years, as part of plans to build one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world; it estimates it has helped support almost 170 jobs across East Anglia through its investments.

These include Chamber member Gardline marine services, marine researcher Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), fisheries consultants Brown and May, online consultation experts Consense, consultants Eastern Edge and land agents Freedom Group who are all working on East Anglia ONE, the first phase of the East Anglia Zone.

The developers say that as the development of future wind farms within the zone continues there will be further opportunities for businesses in the region to benefit from these types of contracts.

Development rights for the East Anglia Zone were awarded to SPR and Vattenfall by the Crown Estate in December 2009 and plans are already under way for wind farms that could power the equivalent of over five million homes.

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.