Ask most businesses in Norfolk what they need to help them to create improved economic growth and deliver more jobs and the majority will say improved road infrastructure would be a good start. Ask businesses in Great Yarmouth what they need and they will tell you improvements to the Acle Straight and improved links into the town and the port.
One of those improved links is a £112m third river crossing, identified five years ago, spanning 50m from the Southtown area to the South Denes area of Great Yarmouth. Supporters of this river crossing say it is crucial to cutting congestion, supporting regeneration and improving links to the town’s port.
The Chancellor, George Osborne, gave the go ahead to a river crossing in Lowestoft in March’s pre-election budget and Norfolk County Councillors fear that the Great Yarmouth equivalent may be in danger of being left behind. They are planning to lobby Norfolk’s MPs, with the support of New Anglia LEP to push the Great Yarmouth river crossing to the top of the agenda.
Colleen Walker, Chairperson of the County Council’s Economic Development Sub committee said:
“It is essential that the crossing happened.” She went on to say “We are going to lobby MPs for the money for the river crossing. We are shovel ready to go and this is vital not just for Yarmouth but for the rest of Norfolk. We cannot just sit on our hands.”
Commenting on the latest news, Andy Penman, President of Great Yarmouth Chamber Council said:
“Pressure needs to be stepped up over the third river crossing for Great Yarmouth. Norfolk Chamber will also call on our local MPs to lobby for the necessary funding to deliver the river crossing for Great Yarmouth. A crossing at this point would relieve traffic congestion, improve connectivity to the South Denes employment area and open up more regeneration opportunities, which are vital for the improvement of Great Yarmouth.”
The recent news headlines outline a possible cash crisis facing Norfolk’s schools. 91% of secondary schools stated they will have to cut faculty/subject budgets; 93% of secondary schools identified that they will have to cut ‘other resources’; and 39% of secondary schools advised that they will have to reduce teaching staff through redundancies either in 2015 or 2016. It is therefore even more important that the Norfolk business community engages with the local education establishments.
Soft skills and accessing a future workforce are key issues for the Norfolk business community. Norfolk Chamber is passionate about developing the talent of Norfolk’s young people and we are working with our key stakeholders to help bridge the gap between the world of education and the world of work.
Many businesses rely on the education system to help equip young people with the soft skills and attitude they need to successfully make the transition to work and we will continue to work with our education and business members to ensure that we work in partnership towards closing this gap.
For those schools that are already part of the Chamber network, they are aware that the Chamber can provide the school’s head teacher/principal and members of staff with opportunities to attend Norfolk Chamber events. This provides them with easy access their local business networks. Norfolk Chamber also actively welcome groups of member school’s students to attend our large scale events, such as B2B and any specific events aimed at both young people and businesses.
Last year we asked for initial public views on the development of a masterplan for Gorleston seafront – around 1200 people responded, and we would like to thank everyone that took part.
Now the council is consulting on a draft document based on those responses and discussions with stakeholders like you. We would particularly like your views on a series of proposed actions, covering topics including conservation, accessibility, wayfinding, and events.
Please do take this opportunity to help us shape Gorleston’s future for the next 10 to 15 years. We would also encourage you to pass this invitation on to anyone you think may be interested in feeding back their views.
Since the Great Eastern Mainline (GEML) Taskforce was created in 2013, at the request of the Chancellor, they have been making a compelling case for rail improvements in our region, which has resonated right across Whitehall and Westminster.
David Cameron, George Osborne, Transport ministers, MPs from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and beyond, together with many others have repeatedly praised the GEML campaign. More importantly Ministers have committed to the levels of investment that our region needs. Without doubt, the active support of leaders from across business, education and local authorities has helped make the difference.
The GEML Taskforce continue to have confidence in the progress made so far, and that the year-on-year transformation of the Great Eastern Mainline will continue. But success depends on us, the local business community, to keep up the momentum.
The Taskforce has advised that, despite the recent news of Network Rail’s performance and Government plans to ‘pause’ improvements in parts of the country, the Great Eastern Mainline was not affected. Transport Secretary Patrick Mcloughlin repeated his promise to the Taskforce to bring about ‘modern, faster trains to Ipswich and Norwich in the next franchise’. And in the recent Summer Budget, the Chancellor also re-affirmed his commitment for ‘Norwich in 90 and Ipswich in 60’ campaign. Keeping up the momentum, the Taskforce has written to the Transport Secretary and Network Rail asking for renewed assurances that the improvements will be delivered on time and as promised.
The GEML Taskforce has met twice, since the General Election in May, to review progress and agree the next steps. The most recent developments for the Great Eastern Mainline are:
Department for Transport has announced the three train companies shortlisted to bid for the new franchise. They are Abellio East Anglia in a joint venture with Stagecoach; First East Anglia; and National Express. These train companies will now submit their bids to Government by August, with the expectation that they will be innovative in their approach to achieving the recommendations of the Great Eastern Rail Report – including all-important new rolling stock and changes to the timetable. The contract winner will be announced by Government in June 2016 with the new franchise starting in October 2016.
The Taskforce has invited each of the three bidders to meet with them, so that they can outline first hand the high expectations that our region has of the new service. All three train companies have confirmed their acceptance of the invitation.
Network Rail is undertaking a feasibility study which will set out the engineering work required to increase the speed of the rail line. The final recommendations will be published in November 2015 with work starting soon after. At the same time, Network Rail’s Anglia Route Study will identify the work needed for the whole of the region between 2019-2024 and will be published in summer 2015.
All the newly elected MPs across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex have been briefed on the GEML campaign and are supportive and fully involved.
The GEML Taskforce have recently written to business leaders across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and invited them to attend an update meeting on 23 October 2015 in Ipswich. The meeting will bring together all the key supporters and provide a progress update on the campaign, as well as answer any questions. They also hope that all three of the shortlisted train companies for our region’s rail franchise will attend this meeting.
Commenting on the work that has been done so far by the GEML Taskforce,Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“It is vitally important the Norfolk’s business community continue to support the rail campaign and the work that the GEML Taskforce is doing. Already the results of delivering a consistent message to Westminster, from the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex’s business communities; the New Anglia LEP; theMPs from across the 3 counties;and the local authoritiesis paying off. With continued support and encouragement, we can work together to transform our railway.”
Europe is dominating the news at the moment due to the uncertainty of how the situation with Greece will be resolved. Commenting in the wake of the Greek referendum, which saw voters reject creditors’ bailout terms, Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:
“Beyond its immediate impacts on markets and trade, it looks ever more likely that the Greek referendum vote will spark fundamental changes in the Eurozone – and the European Union as a whole.
“The Prime Minister may get an early, and important, opportunity to put the case for fundamental reform of the UK’s relationship with the EU. Businesses will want him to seize this opening, especially as many of the UK’s desired reforms would support the competitiveness of the EU as a whole.”
“There is now broad agreement across the political spectrum that our relationship with the EU needs to change and that the status quo is not an option. Norfolk businesses would like their voice included in the debate, to help the government secure meaningful changes to our relationship with the EU.”
There are five key elements that Norfolk Chamber wants to focus on relating to EU reform:
In a Europe in which the decisions will be made by and for the Eurozone – a club of which we will never be a member – Britain must have absolute guarantees to protect our economic and other interests within the EU.
We need to protect our businesses from the regulatory burdens imposed by the EU, particularly those that do not relate directly to trade, again with an opt-out if necessary. The vast majority of the UK’s economic activity is not directly derived from trade with the rest of the European Union – and yet all of that activity is hit by the cost of European regulation.
It is necessary to sort out the “common market” so that it works for British business. The UK is by and large a service sector economy and yet there is no meaningful internal market in services within the EU and, at the same time, the market in goods is imperfect and unravelling.
We need a clear and balanced approach to immigration taking into account the need for stability and social cohesion and driven by the skills requirements of our economy, meaning businesses can access the talent they need.
We need a cast iron opt-out to make sure we do not sleepwalk into an ‘ever closer union’.
If you have an opinion on this issue or would like to give examples of how the current situation with the EU is adversely affecting your business please advise cw@norfolkchamber.co.uk
We’re delighted to welcome Plain Speaking Agency as a new member of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. Plain Speaking is a straight talking, results focused PR, communications and marketing agency based in Norwich. Founded in 2006, the team is made up of three senior comms professionals – managing director Pippa Lain-Smith, plus Amber Davis and Kayla Dunne – collectively with over fifty years’ PR experience: from global organisations to start-ups, consumer goods to business services, national brands to social enterprises. They are friendly and tenacious, all involved in every element of clients’ work, from developing campaign plans and implementing activity, to measuring success.
The Plain Speaking team believes public relations is about communicating and building relationships with people who are important to your brand; engaging their interest, inspiring their loyalty and encouraging them to do business with you. They help to build, maintain and protect reputations; and take pride in using language that clients understand, avoiding unnecessary jargon. The will only recommend communications tactics that they honestly believe will add value to a business.
Pippa Lain-Smith, managing director of Plain Speaking Agency, said: “Our team has such broad experience that we are able to represent a very diverse range of clients; from retail to telecoms, healthcare to property, and everything in between. We have one simple aim: to help our clients achieve their business objectives. Most of the clients that we work with have been with us for a number of years, which is testament to our commitment to exceeding their expectations.
“We joined the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce to engage more with the regional business community. The training, networking and events programme has been highly recommended so we’re looking forward to meeting new people and enhancing our skills base.”
According to recent Office of National Statistics figures, the UK’s unemployment total has risen for the first time in two years. The ONS said 1.85 million people in the UK were unemployed in the March to May period, an increase of 15,000 from the previous quarter, with a jobless rate at 5.6%.
However the local unemployment figures here in Norfolk told a different story, with the overall results bucking the national trend and showing that the unemployment figures were still falling.
All Norfolk districts saw the JSA claimant rates continue the trend of recent months and fell further. Broadland had the largest percentage fall of -10.1%, with Norwich showing a percentage drop of -6.5% and Great Yarmouth a drop of -4.1%. The smallest percentage change was in King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, who saw a percentage change of -3.8%. Overall Norfolk’s JSA claimant rate fell from 1.4% in May, to 1.3% in June 2015.
Norfolk Chamber was proud to have sponsored the recent National Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony at the St Andrew’s Hall in Norwich. The Chamber joined with parents, training providers and local employers in congratulating the graduating apprentices, who had successfully completed their apprenticeships.
Norfolk Chamber’s own Events Apprentice, Samantha Brown received her graduation scroll for completing her Level 2 Business Administration at the ceremony. Commenting on the ceremony andreceiving her scroll Sam Brown said:
“It was a great opportunity to share this evening with so many other graduating apprentices and to hear about their different qualifications. I love the fact that apprenticeships have now been recognised in this way and that we are able to graduate and be given a scroll, it gives me personally a great sense of achievement for my hard work.”
Nova Fairbank, Executive Assistant at Norfolk Chamber said:
“Over the last few years, Norfolk Chamber has recruited several apprentices, in fact those apprentices represented 25% of our workforce. Upon graduation, two have been employed permanently at the Chamber, one has gone on to undertake a Level 3 apprenticeship with us and another is half way though her Level 2 apprenticeship with us.
It is important to celebrate what a great achievement it is for those young people who are not only gaining a qualification, through lots of hard work, but from an employer’s perspective, they are also totally work ready, which is one of the key reasons why Norfolk Chamber has sponsored the National Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony in Norwich.”
A Cromer shop manager proved the ‘bearer’ of good news after handing over a giant teddy to lucky four-year-old George Vanni.
Little George won the paw-some toy after winning a ‘guess the name’ competition in the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) shop, in Tucker Street.
The contest was part of the store’s carnival week celebrations and his winning entry was the name Smudge.
George, from Northampton, was on holiday in North Norfolk with seven-year-old brother Charlie and grandparents Steve and Trudi.
Mark Buller, EACH relief and support manager for the north and east region, said: “It was my pleasure to present our giant bear to George.
“He was delighted, as you can tell from the picture, and it was also lovely to meet his brother and grandparents.
“Our staff and volunteers got in the spirit, joined in the fun and enjoyed the carnival celebrations.
“As well as running our week-long teddy competition, we also had lots of special offers that proved a hit with customers.”
George is pictured with Mark and Cromer shop volunteer Patricia Goodwin.
The competition raised £125 and Cromer Carnival Week ran from Saturday, 13th August to Friday, 19th August.
The latest Agent’s summary from the Bank of England highlighted that whilst growth in consumer services turnover had been steady, retail sales growth had eased. House prices had risen, as the housing market strengthened and construction output growth also continued at a steady pace.
Although there had been little change in the growth of total labour costs per employee, there were signs of wage pressures building. However employers were still advising that they intended to recruit new employees, even though recruitment difficulties remained.
Manufacturing output remained modest, although manufacturing exports had improved. Business services turnover growth remained firm overall.
I am pleased to let you know that following a recent reviewComposite Legal Expenses have added a number of enhancements to the Chamber Legal benefits package.
The enhancements include:
Removal of £1000 Excess – Chamber members will now benefit from an excess-free claims process
Increase in the limit a member can claim to £100,000 per claim and an aggregate amount of £1,000,000 per member per year
More accessible policy wording
Change in the Telephone number from 0871 number to a new geographic number of 029 21 157571 (the old number is still valid ongoing)
One of Norfolk Chamber’s key campaigns is ‘Developing the Talent of our Young People’ – we are working with our members, stakeholders and the British Chamber’s of Commerce (BCC) to bridge the gap between education and the world of work. We are also part of a BCC pilot project to develop the ‘Young Chamber’ offering to schools to enable them to better connect to their local business community.
Over the last 3 years, Norfolk Chamber has had a total of 4 apprentices, which at one point represented 25% of our workforce. 2 apprentices graduated last year and we were delighted to be able to employ them upon their graduation. Of the remaining apprentices, we now have 1 apprentice, Darcy Bayfield, who is nearing the completion of her Level 2 apprenticeship and another, Samantha Brown, who having completed her Level 2, is now close to completing her Level 3 apprenticeship. We are now starting to recruit for another new apprentice to work in the events department.
One of our apprentices, studying for a Business Administration Apprenticeship at Level 2, is Darcy Bayfield. Below she outlines why she chose the apprenticeship route.
Darcy Bayfield – Business Administration Apprentice said:
“During the last year of my A-Levels, I had a very big decision to make – what am I going to do after I have completed my A-Levels? I had my sights set on going to University to study Accountancy and Finance. My sixth form gave me a lot of opportunities to attend various workshops and meet with business men and women. A lot of them told me that they went to university, but a few said they undertook an apprenticeship. I hadn’t even considered an apprenticeship, but wanted to know all my options, so I did some research.”
“The more I learnt about them, the more I liked the idea of becoming an apprentice. Not only do you benefit from not having a university debt, you also gain a better understanding of the company that you are working for. I liked the idea of essentially starting at the bottom and working my way up. You also gain experience in the workplace and you are given many opportunities to develop your skills.”
“I decided to select an apprenticeship in Business Administration. I achieved an ‘A’ in my Business Studies A-Level and I really wanted to put my knowledge to good use. When reading the job description for the apprenticeship at the Norfolk Chamber, I was really interested in the day-to-day duties and the key responsibilities. I had no idea that I would end up working in other departments too!”
“What I enjoy most about being an apprentice are the opportunities that you are given. Norfolk Chamber has given me numerous opportunities to develop my skills and to be trained up in other departments. I have been trained to do work in the Accounts department and also in the International Trade department. For the International Trade work, I had to take additional exams to become qualified to stamp official documents. I also carry out day-to-day general office duties and have various responsibilities, such as being in charge of all the stationary orders for the Chamber. This has given me an insight as to how the Chamber works and what happens in each department. Every day has something different waiting for you, which is great.”
“Upon completion of my apprenticeship I hope to have achieved a qualification that I can add to my CV. Plus, I also hope to have developed my own skills and to have built good working relationships with my colleagues.”
Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“At Norfolk Chamber our apprentices form an integral part of our work force and are valuable asset to our business. Historically apprenticeships have been perceived as the ‘poor relation’ in comparison to a university degree. However, more and more employers are seeing the advantages and benefits of apprenticeships, and our apprenticeshave brought new ideas and innovations to our organisation.”
“Apprenticeships will not only give Norfolk’s young people the skills they need, but the experience and ‘on the job’ training. Plus, they also offer local employers the chance to mould their new recruits and effectively grow their own future workforce. I would recommend all employers, both large and small, to find out more about apprenticeships.”