Talking to Local Businesses and High Street Banks

I recently attended a breakfast organised by the Federation of Small Business, where representatives of small and medium sized businesses in the local area could talk to me about the most pressing issues facing them at the moment.  A few important points came up: one was the Business Link system, which was criticised for being difficult to access, and for duplicating what is already being offered by other services.  One businessman expressed his frustration at the bureaucracy and cost associated with Energy Performance Certificates, and another raised the issue of non-domestic rates levied on vacant commercial properties.  I have written to three Government Ministers and one officer at Buckinghamshire County Council about these issues.    

I also recently visited Barclays Bank in Aylesbury, to meet the manager and business team there, and to see what help they are giving to local businesses, particularly in terms of providing finance.  I am currently setting up meetings with the other local banks to do the same with them.  I have told the FSB members that I will pass on any concerns about finance they have.

Red Tape Challenge

 

The Coalition Government wants to be the first government in modern history to leave office having reduced the overall burden of red tape and regulation, instead of increasing it.

To help it achieve this, the Government has launched the ‘Red Tape Challenge’.  It is asking members of the public to suggest regulations which affect their daily lives at home, at work, or in the community, and which they think should be cut.

While well-designed and proportionate regulation is of course sensible and needed, I do feel that giving the public a chance to have their say on the less worthwhile regulations that affect their everyday lives is an important step forward.

More details can be found on the ‘Red Tape Challenge’ web-site.

HS2 Action Alliance publishes analysis of the revised Business Case for the project

The Department for Transport published a revised business case for HS2 alongside the consultation document that it isued a few weeks ago.

The analysis of this case by the HS2 Action Alliance was presented to MPs and their staff today (thanks to Andrea Leadsom MP  for organising the meeting) and you can read the analysis here.

Constituency business

Apart from my regular constituency surgery to deal with problems brought to me by individual constituents, I had two important meetings this Friday.

One was a further meeting with representatives from the local campaign groups and local authorities about HS2. You might recall that I convened a similar meeting earlier this year and we agreed then that we ought to meet up again once the Department for Transport had published its consultation documents. It was a pretty intensive meeting, discussing various ideas for further letters and FOI requests (I’ll post on the detailed follow-up later) and allowing us all to share ideas about how to make sure that the voice of local people is properly heard during the consultation. I know that the HS2 Action Alliance and Stop HS2 are waiting for further analysis from their experts before putting in formal submissions and their advice to residents is to hold off submitting a response to the consultation until that analysis of their Department’s official documents, including its revised business case and its Appraisal of Sustainability is available.

The other meeting was with a group of major local employers under the banner of the Buckinghamshire Enterprise and Learning Partnership (BELP). In some respects we are lucky. The local economy has not been hit as badly in the recession as some other parts of the country. But we can’t be complacent. The rise in joblessness in both Wycombe and Aylesbury has been steep, though from a very low base and with the current rates of unemployment still well below the national average. We talked about a number of different issues affecting local business. What was encouraging was to hear the determination of employers to make the case for more businesses to locate to our part of the world and to campaign for business-friendly policies by both local and central government.

One

Super-Fast Fibre Optic Broadband is Coming to Wendover

I have received notification that BT will be installing super-fast fibre optic broadband capability in Wendover.

The investment project, which should be completed by Spring 2012, will allow roughly 3,500 Wendover premises to enjoy internet speeds of up to 40 Mb/s.

BT plans to invest £2.5bn to deliver fibre-optic capabilities to up to sixty-five per cent of homes and businesses in the UK, in what is at present one of the largest civil engineering projects being undertaken in Europe.

The technology will be sold wholesale to numerous broadband service providers.

I am delighted that the residents and businesses of Wendover will have access to high-speed broadband.  This development will allow homes to communicate more easily, and will permit businesses to improve and expand their operations.

Business Buckinghamhsire

David at Buckinghamshire Economic & Learning Partnership’s (BELP) briefing for MPs on 8 October 2010.

At the meeting local Bucks MPs discussed the performance of the Bucks Economy from the perspective of the emerging economic data and the coalface views offered by business. 

The key messages that came out were that:

Ø  More businesses are started in Bucks than in any other county, and that the county can claim to be the Entrepreneurial Heart of Britain.

Ø  The work of BELP to accelerate the availability of next generation broadband in Bucks is a real positive and will make a difference to many businesses.

Ø  Bucks as a whole is less exposed to public sector cuts than many places but it does represent a serious issue, especially for Aylesbury and small companies who have public sector contracts.

Ø  There is scope for our local authorities to work more closely together to support employment opportunities during the current period.

To find out more visit the BELP website.

Countryside Awards

Aylesbury MP David Lidington is urging the local community to get involved in the sixth annual Countryside Alliance Awards, which are now open to public nomination.  Everyone who supports rural businesses, produce, and communities is strongly encouraged to nominate their favourites, and to help the South of England claim another national title.

The Awards, nicknamed the ‘Rural Oscars’, are the Countryside Alliance’s celebration of communities, produce, enterprise, and rural heritage.  Voted for by the public, they applaud those who routinely go the extra mile for their community, and who help to promote rural life. 

In the Awards’ five years the South of England has taken two national titles and won three commendations, meaning it is in second place on the Awards Leader Board out of the 12 competing regions.

The Award categories are:

• Local Food Award
• Village Shop/ Post Office Award
• Enterprise Award
• Daily Telegraph Traditional Business Award
• Butcher Award
• Hunter Rural Hero of 2010 (16 years and over)
• Hunter Rural Hero of 2010 (15 years and under)
• The Grassroots Award for the Countryside Alliance member who has done the most to further our campaigning work

David commented:

‘These Awards are a terrific way to promote the local businesses of Aylesbury and the surrounding villages.  Our local produce is second to none, so I do urge people in the area to get involved and nominate today.  I really do believe that Buckinghamshire has a very strong chance of winning an award.’

Countryside Alliance South of England Regional Director Sara Rutherford said:

‘The Awards really do have a feelgood factor that gives a boost to everyone involved.  The region has produce, skills, and community spirit of which to be proud, and I look forward to this year’s crop of diverse and inspiring nominations.’

Cast your vote at www.countrysideallianceawards.co.uk

by Friday 22^nd October.

The Opening of the Robert Mews Workshops

On 9th July, I attended the opening of the Robert Mews Workshops. The workshops are a series of refurnished out buildings that will be used by local artists. To find out about future art events in Buckinghamshire please visit Bucks Open Studios.

Picture from the Bucks Herald

Lloyds Group job losses – Minister’s reply (2)

Those of you who have been following my actions since the devastating Lloyds Group job losses announced last year, will know that I wrote to the Minister on 25^th February in response to his letter of 15^th December to highlight a number of specific measures that could help Aylesbury in the same way that other parts of the country have been assisted by the Government.

I am afraid that the Minister’s reply is not good news, and I am again desperately disappointed by his letter. As you can see, he dismisses my comparison with Redcar where the Government put together a £60 million emergency package to help deal with the consequences of the Corus job losses on Teesside. Instead the Minister highlights a number of measures which were happening anyway.

Below I have included the Minister’s reply.

Young Enterprise in Aylesbury Vale

I rate Young Enterprise. Its motto is Learning by Doing and what it does each year is to organise a business competition for school students. Each group  forms and runs a small limited company, working  out the business plan, marketing and selling a product or service and keeping track of the cash! Local business men and women act as advisers but the decisions are taken by the student directors themselves.

At their fair in Friars Square on Saturday, there was a wide range of goods and services on offer – from kitchen energy-saving devices to beanie bags to wooden ornaments to a revision management CD (software written by the students) to jewellery to anti-pong mats for the bottom of wheelie bins to energy bars and drinks to suit either the fitness fanatic or the stressed executive (or MP!).

I made a point of asking each of the teams what they had learned most from the experience. Most said it was a lesson in the importance of teamwork – realising that running a business is a co-operative endeavour that requires you to be able to trust other people to deliver on the tasks that they have agreed to take on.

Aylesbury Vale Young Enterprise is currently looking for someone to help them with fundraising. I hope that the right man or woman comes forward because I doubt that there is a better organisation for introducing young people to wahat business and wealth creation is about.