Councillors have agreed to an extra £10m to help fill a funding gap for the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NDR).
It emerged last month that the cost of the 12.5 mile road, stretching from the A47 at Postwick to the A1067 Fakenham Road, had increased from £148.5m to £178.5m.
Norfolk County Council cited construction cost inflation and design changes for the £30m hike and approached the government asking for help.
The government said it was prepared to provide £10m and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership signalled it would ask its members to provide a further £10m.
And, at an extraordinary meeting of the county council today, councillors agreed its £10m share should come from reserves and from the highways budget for the next four years.
Labour leader George Nobbs said: “I know I speak for most councillors when I say the NDR is a much cherished scheme which has the majority backing of all parties except the Greens. We have been pushing for this vital infrastructure for a decade and it is within our grasp.”
UKIP leader Toby Coke said: “We must look forward with ambition and there must be no dithering.”
Conservative group leader Cliff Jordan and Liberal Democrat group leader Marie Strong also voiced their support, although a number of UKIP councillors spoke against allocating the £10m for the scheme.
Councillors voted 59 to 8 in favour, with three abstentions.
The LEP board will meet next week to decide whether to agree its £10m share.
Initial work on the road is due to start in October, with full blown construction starting in February or March next year.
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:”We very much welcome this decision from the County Council and would encourage the NALEP Board to agree to its £10m share next week. The NDR will bring significant economic benefits to Norwich and Norfolk which will assist the business community to create and retain jobs so important to our local economy.”
Offshore Europe takes place in Aberdeen every two years, organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers. It will run from 8th – 11th September, attracting a global audience of engineers, technical specialists, industry leaders and experts to share ideas and debate issues of offshore energy industry.
Nineteen companies representing the unique all-energy East of England coast will take upbeat messages of investment and ambition to Europe’s biggest offshore exhibition next week.
The businesses on the East of England Energy Zone (EEEZ) stand will be celebrating 50 years of gas in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen but they will also be marking new investment this year and high confidence for more.
The East of England energy industry is renowned as ambitious, innovative, robust and flexible with a competitive cost-base, James Gray, director of the East of England Energy Zone said.
“The renowned low-cost-high-quality ethos of the East of England make it the clear choice for developers across the energy spectrum. The welcome mat is down for investors who want to share in the success of the East of England. All the information and data needed is available from EEEZ.”
Considerable reserves of gas are still to be recovered in the Southern North Sea after five decades of continuous activity and new prospects stretching into the future were offered by offshore wind..
Gas from the Cygnus field, the most significant gas field to be discovered in the SNS for 25 years, will start to come into Bacton, Norfolk this year in a £1.4bn investment by Engie – formerly GDF Suez – expected to bring spin-off benefits in the ports and supply chain across Norfolk and Suffolk.
Supply chain companies in the EEEZ are sharpening their offer ready for the North Sea decommissioning programme to dismantle hundreds of platforms and plug and abandon wells, concentrating on collaborating and turning to innovation to drive down costs to be ready to have the most cost-effective quality offer when operators start the process.
East of England Energy Zone, Mr Gray said. The Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance, comprising Norfolk and Suffolk County councils, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Waveney District Council, North Norfolk District Council, EEEGR, the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and the Norfolk and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce, provides potential investors access to land and port data, the extensive local supply chain, skills, programmes, local politicians and planning support.
“Given the scale of some of the investment projects we work with, investors undertake a rigorous due diligence. That’s where our combined intelligence and local networks are an incredibly valuable resource.
“As a region, we have pooled our collective resources, and have produced what is really a simple portal. Most importantly we can always deliver the information requested.
‘This is true collaboration to make it easy for investors and it is working.”
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service is offering businesses ‘simple’ safety messages. ‘Now is the time to think about fire safety in your organisation’ – That’s the message from Norfolk County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, as they gear up for UK Business Safety Week (07 – 13 September 2015).
The Service will offer local businesses ‘simple’ safety messages to share with their staff during the week which is taking place at a time when many businesses will be recruiting additional members of seasonal staff in the run up to Christmas.
The new recruits might not have the same level of fire safety awareness as permanent members of staff, and may not be aware of the steps needed to protect themselves, their customers and colleagues. It is also a good opportunity to remind existing staff of the importance of fire safety.
Richard Herrell, Head of Community Fire Protection at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I would encourage all businesses to ensure their staff are fully aware of potential fire risks and hazards, and know what to do in an emergency.”
“We are pleased to support the Chief Fire Officers UK Business Safety Week. The message is a SIMPLE one, but it is vital that businesses consider the risks of fire and that their employees are also aware of the potential dangers. Fire risks in businesses may change at this time of year as there is the potential for more staff, more stock and more customers.”
This year’s message for businesses is ‘Keep it SIMPLE and Safe’ and offers the following reminders:
Store stock safely: keep corridors, stairs and exits clear
Identify alarm points so you can warn others
Make sure doors are closed to stop fires from spreading
Place things that catch fire away from things that cause fire
Let someone know if you spot fire safety problems
Ensure everyone knows what to do if a fire alarm sounds
Helping businesses to manage their fire risks and hazards, and potentially save lives and safeguard their businesses against financial and commercial loss is of key importance, particularly in these competitive times when growth and sustainability are a priority.
Fire can cause major disruption for businesses – there is a far greater chance of recovery, if risks have been identified and appropriate arrangements have been put in place to prevent fires starting, or to mitigate their impact.
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service are using social media with the Twitter hashtag #BusinessSafetyWeek to support the initiative and get key messages across to the business community.
In Norfolk, between 2012 and 2014, Norfolk Fire and rescue Service attended 583 accidental fires in business premises. The most common cause was faulty appliances, issues associated with electrical supply and cooking.
Cllr Paul Smyth, Chairman of Norfolk County Council’s Communities Committee, said: “Fire can cause major disruption to businesses, so it makes good business sense to identify risks, to put appropriate arrangements in place to prevent fires from starting in the first place, and to mitigate their impact.”
“The SIMPLE approach will also help employers with their duty of care to employees, so I would encourage Norfolk businesses to make use of the advice the Fire Service is offering.”
Notice is hereby given that the 119th Annual General Meeting of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce & Industry will be held at the Dunston Hall Hotel, Ipswich Road, Norwich on Friday 09 October 2015. Registration will be at 09:45am, for meeting commencement at 10:00am. Please see attached for all papers relevant to the meeting.
“The A47 is a dangerous road because it is busy and only parts of it are dualled, which gives people the impression they are on a fast trunk road. The vast majority of accidents happen on the single carriageway.”
Jonathan Cage, Vice President of Norfolk Chamber and Managing Director of Create Consulting Engineers said:
“The A47 is the main route from east to west across Norfolk and is important to the economy of our County. The route has a combination of single and dualled sections of the carriageway and the two recent tragic accidents illustrate how dangerous this road can be. Dualling the A47 would have both economic and safety benefits and Norfolk Chamber wants to see more sections of this vital route dualled as soon as possible.”
The next A47 Alliance meeting will be held in October and Jonathan Cage will be attending the meeting on behalf of Norfolk Chamber to ensure business views are heard.
Access to finance is still a barrier to exporting for UK firms, a report by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has found. In its annual International Trade Survey, the BCC found that 60% of potential exporters cite general access to finance as a key factor in their plans to export goods or services.
Additionally, one quarter (24%) of UK businesses preparing to export have reported difficulty in accessing trade finance or credit insurance from lenders – products tailored specifically to support firms trading in overseas markets.
Access to finance is an issue for firms of all sizes. Of the 60% of UK firms on the cusp of exporting who stated that securing the right funding was a key consideration in deciding if, when and where they would export to, over half (57%) are micro firms, 29% are small firms and 14% are medium or large firms.
Despite this, 90% of businesses that are already exporting say further expansion is a priority, indicating that confidence in economic growth is becoming more widespread across the country and that appetite for new expansion is returning.
Accessing the appropriate financial products is crucial to businesses planning to enter export markets, to help cover new costs including market research and product development, and managing the risks around shipping and payment.
John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“A fundamental revolution in our approach to exporting is needed if we are going to reverse our historic trade deficit, overturn our current account deficit and maintain Britain’s position as a leading global trader. We already have world-class products and services that are in demand globally – we now need to ensure the door is open for all UK businesses wanting to trade overseas.
“While support for UK companies to finance exports of goods and services should be further enhanced, we also need to understand why a quarter of the exporting firms surveyed have been unable to access the financial products specifically designed to help them trade overseas.
“There are huge potential rewards for firms that can access overseas markets, but there are also costs associated in exporting. The government needs to ensure that UK Export Finance and the British Business Bank offer world-class support to UK businesses, and remove one of the main barriers to exporting – access to finance.
“To ensure that UK exporters have direct access to on-the-ground support in new markets, the BCC and chamber network are playing our part by actively expanding our Global Business Network to link British firms with customers and opportunities in the fastest-growing economies overseas.”
Julie Austin, International Trade Manager at Norfolk Chamber said:
“It is disappointing that so many business have experienced a barrier to exporting due to accessing finance. As the Norfolk economy improves and companies look to expand their markets, exporting is often a profitable route but the barriers do need to be removed to make this happen. Norfolk Chamber assists exporters with access to finance through a number of services. Regular training courses on Letters of Credit and Methods of Payment are held throughout the year to assist export staff understand the rules and regulations involved. A Letter of Credit service is also available which takes away all the concerns exporters have when dealing with overseas clients and the worry about getting paid.”
Earlier this year, Norfolk County Council awarded the multi-million Park and Ride contract to Konectbus. The operator, who is based in Dereham, already ran three routes for Norwich’s park and ride, but as of yesterday Konectbus now runs all of them.
18 new buses were specifically purchased to run on the city centre services, at a cost of £3.3 million. Konectbus have said that by linking up the cross city routes this will give passengers a better service and a new link to Norwich railway station. They have also introduced a new timetable and fare structures
However, in a change to the previous park and ride contract, the Costessey Park and Ride will now only call at the University of East Anglia and the Norwich University Hospital.
Konectbus celebrated the start of their updated services with a launch party at The Forum at the weekend, where two of their new fleet of buses were on show.
Tracy Jessop, County Council Assistant Director for Highways and Transport, said:
“Konectbus has outstanding levels of satisfaction from users of their current services at over 98pc, so I am confident the services are moving into very good hands.”
“Their bid was bold and ambitious and will bring in a number of changes in response to passenger needs. It is great news that this is now a fully commercial service that will be able to move and flex to meet the needs of our growing city.”
Thenew annual economic report for Oil & Gas UKdisclosed that the total number of people employed in the sector had fallen from 440,000 to 375,000 since the beginning of 2014, largely due to the crash in world oil prices.
The UK’s oil and gas industry expects to continue shedding jobs and heavily cutting its costs despite reducing its workforce by more than 65,000 in the last 20 months.
Norfolk Chamber joins Oil &GasUK in repeating its demands for further tax cuts and increased Treasury incentives to help boost investment, increase margins and cut decommissioning costs, arguing that the latest tax cuts were insufficient. The Government must listen to an industry which provides revenue for the treasury and many local jobs
The economic report forecast Brent crude prices remaining in the current range of $45-$65 a barrel “well beyond the end of 2015”.
Even with new fields such as Golden Eagle pushing up production, overall capital investment could drop by as much as £12bn over the next three years, falling from £14.8bn last year by between £2bn-£4bn a year to 2018.
Andy Penman – President of GY Chamber Council and Group MD of Conductor Installation Services an ACTEON company said ” We must help to sustain the back-bone of Britain by reducing the Tax burden on the energy sector, thus helping those long established Oil & Gas Service organisation to weather the current storm, to come out the other-side stronger and healthier and ready to address the challenger’s when the up-turn arrives into our theatre of business again”.
Deirdrie Michie, the industry body’s chief executive “This great industry of ours is facing very challenging times. Last year, more was spent than was earned from production, a situation which has been exacerbated by the continued fall in commodity prices.
“Difficult decisions have had to be made across the industry. We estimate that employment supported by the sector has contracted by 15% since the start of 2014 to 375,000 jobs. It is likely that capacity may have to be reduced still further in order for the business to weather the downturn.”
The New Anglia Oil and Gas Taskforce, of which Norfolk Chamber is a member, has commissioned a piece of research to understand the challenges and more importantly the opportunities open to local companies in this industry. There is a coordinated approach to providing coordinated help and support to local companies
Ipswich, Lowestoft & Waveney, and Suffolk Chambers have all been asked to consult and draw together information from businesses with regards to proposals for new crossings over Ipswich Wet Dock and the lack of a crossing at Lake Lothing.
Ipswich Wet Dock Business Survey
Ipswich and Suffolk Chambers are working together to gather information for crossing over Ipswich Wet Dock. An important part of this process is to gather information from businesses concerning:
The impact the lack of crossings has on your business
The difference new crossings might make to your business
Information which can help to shape an economic case for the crossing including: quantifying congestion costs; evaluating levels of investment likely to result from improved access; and estimating future employment growth
Views on whether businesses have a preferred location for the crossing
The responses to this consultation will be drawn together by a team at the Suffolk Business School at University Campus Suffolk and will be fed into a report commissioned by New Anglia LEP and Suffolk County Council and being written by WSP / Parsons Brinckerhoff. The WSP / Parsons Brinckerhoff report will provide a business case in the form that Government requires regarding the proposed new crossings.
The survey will be open until 30 September 2015. If you are a business that regularly operates in this area, then your views are extremely important and we are therefore grateful for your time spent completing the business survey.
Lake Lothing Crossing Consultation
Lowestoft& Waveney and Suffolk Chambers of Commerce have been asked to consult with and draw together information from businesses that are affected by the current lack of a new crossing of Lake Lothing. An important part of this process is to gather information from local businesses concerning:
The impact that the limited road crossings of Lake Lothing has on your business
The difference a new crossing might make to your business
Information which can help to shape an economic case for the crossing including: quantifying congestion costs; evaluating levels of investment likely to result from improved access; and estimating future employment growth
Views on whether local businesses have a preferred location for the crossing
The responses to this consultation will be drawn together by a team at the Suffolk Business School at University Campus Suffolk and will be fed into a report commissioned by New Anglia LEP and Suffolk County Council and being written by Mouchel. The Mouchel report will provide a business case in the form that Government requires regarding the proposed new crossing.
The survey will be open until 30 September 2015. If you are a business that regularly operates in this area, then your views are extremely important and we are therefore grateful for your time spent completing the business survey.
The British Chamber of Commerce with the support of the accredited Chamber network has written to the Rt Hon Lord Maude of Horsham the Minister for Trade and Investment regarding the increasing number of countries setting their own rules for the issuing of Certificates of Origin.
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: “If this proliferation is allowed to continue then the burden on exporters to comply will be onerous. This burden will fall particularly hard on small and medium sized companies without the resources to meet these requirements.”
The Chambers are calling for a stand-still in unilateral regulations and to reinforce efforts to successfully conclude the negotiations on the WTP Agreement on Rules of Origin (ARO) that have been in an impasse for over a decade
The Chamber called for a strong rail franchise that would help support economic growth in our region, including: delivering a faster more reliable service; good quality journeys, with more carriages and seats; high standards of cleanliness and improved rolling stock.
Plans for 90-minute journeys between Norwich and London, state of the art trains and 180 extra services a week in next East Anglia rail franchise.
‘Norwich in 90’ proposals to be taken forward as government publishes its ambitious requirements for the next East Anglia rail franchise
Host of other improvements planned including state of the art trains, 180 extra services a week and free Wi-Fi
Bidders will also be required to hit challenging customer service targets
Passengers will be able to travel between Norwich and London in just 90 minutes as part of a massive boost to East Anglia’s railway that will also bring modern, state of the art trains, 180 extra services a week between the region’s cities and towns, and better journeys.
Bidders for the next franchise will be required to introduce at least two 90-minute services in each direction running between Norwich and London every weekday. Slashing journey times was a key recommendation of the government-backed Great Eastern Mainline Taskforce and will help to boost long-term economic growth in the region and beyond.
The next operator of the franchise will also be required to:
Introduce 180 additional weekly services, running on Mondays to Sundays to stations including Cambridge, Norwich, Stansted Airport, Southend and London Liverpool Street
Dramatically improve the quality of trains running on East Anglia’s network, providing a modern service with state of the art trains – extra points will be awarded to bidders who include plans to trial new technologies in rolling stock
Bring in free Wi-Fi for all passengers across the network
Meet challenging targets to reduce crowding on the busiest services
Put forward proposals for at least one additional 60-minute service per day in each direction between Ipswich and London
In addition, for the first time in a franchise, the Government will directly set challenging customer service targets for the operator and will monitor progress through independent ‘mystery shopper’ exercises and passenger surveys, with the operator expected to show clear year-on-year improvements. A financial penalty will be imposed if targets are not met. Until now, it had been up to the East Anglia operator to set its own targets for customer service and to report back to Government.
Jonathan Cage, Vice President of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director of Create Consulting Engineers said:
“Improvements to rail infrastructure in Norfolk have lagged behind the rest of the UK for many years. To ensure Norfolk businesses remain competitive and create jobs, we need a faster more reliable rail service with a good standard of rolling stock. We are pleased to note that the Government’s plans incorporate many of the improvements that we called for.”
Those businesses who regularly use the East Anglia rail network need to feel confident that their train will arrive on time and that they can spend the travel time working in comfort. An improved rail service will help enable the Norfolk business community to deliver economic growth and jobs into our region.”
Rail Minister Claire Perry said:
“For too long, passengers in East Anglia have not had the high-quality rail services that they deserve. Our ambitious requirements will change that by making journeys significantly better than they are now. These plans will also ensure that East Anglia finally has a rail network that supports its growing economy.”
“We have set out what we want to see bidders deliver as a minimum, but we are looking for bids that exceed our expectations wherever possible. It is now for the industry to step up to the challenge and tell us how they will make this happen.”
“Bidders will also be required to provide plans to end the practice of flushing waste onto the tracks by fitting controlled emission toilets to all trains. They will also be expected to invest heavily in improving stations, as well as creating a £9.5 million ‘Customer and Communities Improvement Fund’ to benefit passengers and the local community.”
More than 135 million journeys are made on East Anglia’s rail network every year, with around 4,300 trains every week serving London commuters, the regional hubs of Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich, leisure travellers to Stansted Airport and coastal and rural resorts around the region.
Three train operators have been shortlisted to compete to take over the franchise:
a joint venture between Abellio and Stagecoach
First Group
National Express
The government expects to announce the successful bidder in summer next year, with the new nine-year franchise due to start from October 2016.
In Norfolk unemployment continued to fall in the last 3 months from 6,518 to 6,235
In the three months from May to July 2015, UK unemployment rose by 10,000 compared with the previous three months, but employment rose by 42,000 in the same period
UK youth unemployment fell to 15.6% between May and July compared with 16.1% in the previous three months
Total UK pay in the three months from May to July was 2.9% higher than for the same period a year earlier
Commenting on the labour market statistics for August 2015 published today by the ONS, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“Today’s UK job figures paint a mixed picture. It is disappointing that UK unemployment rose again, and there was also a slight increase in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in August. The fall in the youth unemployment rate is also welcome news, although it remains considerably higher than the national average.”
“Norfolk continued to buck the national trend with the overall number of claimants for Job Seekers Allowance continuing to fall from 6,518 to 6,235 over the last 3 months.”
“Many Norfolk employers are advising that they are more confident about the growth of their businesses, however a large number of them state that they are experiencing difficulties in recruiting skilled workers.”
David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce said:
“Overall, the figures confirm our assessment that the UK recovery is progressing at a satisfactory pace, but the rise in unemployment also indicates that our recovery is still fragile and significant risks will persist in view of the uncertain international situation.”
“Though the further increase in average earnings may be of concern to the MPC, the rate of increase remains below 3% and in the short term does not pose a threat to the Bank of England’s inflation target. We restate our view that the MPC should not consider increases in interest rates until well into 2016.”