Skip to main content

Chamber News

Queen’s Speech: Chamber welcomes commitment to reduce red tape

Norfolk Chamber welcomed the Government’s commitment to reduce the amount of red tape that is burdening small businesses. In the Queen’s Speech last week, the Government outlined the measures in the Enterprise Bill to reduce the regulations on small businesses to help them to create jobs and to reward entrepreneurship.

The purpose of the Bill is to cement the UK’s position as the best place in Europe to start and grow abusiness, by cutting red tape and making it easier for small businesses to resolve disputes quickly and easily.

The Government aims to create a ‘Small Business Conciliation Service’ to help resolve business-to-business disputes, especially over late payment. Data from Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance shows that 26% of invoices are paid after the agreed 60 days to SME businesses in Norwich.

Another aspect of the Enterprise Bill is a commitment to improving the business rates system ahead of the 2017 revaluation, including modernising the appeals system. In particular, the introduction of business rates appeals reform, including modifying the Valuation Tribunal powers to consider ratepayer appeals and allowing the Valuation Office Agency to share information with local government to improve the system for both local government and ratepayers.

Commenting on the Queen’s Speech, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive said:

“Simplifying life for small or growing businesses should be an objective shared across the political spectrum. If properly targeted the Government’s efforts to cut red tape for business could make a real difference – saving time and money. However, as much of the most costly regulatory burdens are created by the EU, cutting red tape will be a challenge.

“The government also has a role to play in helping to alleviate both the cause and effect of late payments. But, in order to truly change the culture of late payment, we need to see a concerted effort from businesses themselves.”

Although reducing red tape is a national rather than a local issue, this is important for Norfolk business and is therefore included in our Business Plan for Norfolk. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is driving forward on this agenda, as stated in theirBusiness Manifesto, and need our local support.

When taxes, and other costs like energy, increase as a result of national government policy, it’s business growth, investment and jobs that suffer. The UK has the highest business rates in Europe, increasing costs before a single sale is made. Norfolk Chamber and the BCC called for:

  • Freeze Business Rates for all companies until 2017 and carry out a full revaluation of premises in 2017
  • Review the Business Rates system by 2017 with the aim of delivering a competitive local tax system by 2022
  • Merge income tax and employee National Insurance Contribution for full tax transparency
  • Pledge no new measures which would increase energy costs for the life of the next parliament

The Queen’s Speech outlined the key elements of the Enterprise Bill, which will go some way towards addressing our concerns and meeting the Chamber ask.

Chamber welcomes support young people in Queen’s Speech

Norfolk Chamber was pleased to see that last week’s Queen’s Speech highlighted several measures in the Government’s ‘One Nation’ vision that will help to support and develop the talent of Norfolk’s young people.

The new Full Employment and Welfare Benefits Bill is expected to help create two million more jobs across the UK this Parliament. To help Norfolk’s young people get those jobs, they will need to be given the support, skills and experience that they need to fulfil their potential.

The Government is also looking to create a further three million more apprenticeships over the next five years, which includes about 27,000 apprenticeships in the East of England. Currently 11% of Norfolk businesses employ an apprentice. From August 2014 – January 2015 there were 3,640 new apprenticeships started, which represents a 16.5% increase of the previous year’s figures.

Apprenticeships will not only give our young people the skills they need, but the experience and ‘on the job’ training. Apprenticeships also offer local employers the chance to mould their new recruits and effectively grow their own future workforce.

The Government also intends to put in place a new Youth Allowance for 18 to 21 year olds with stronger work related conditionality from Day 1. After 6 months they will be required to go on an apprenticeship, training or community work placement. The also intend to provide Jobcentre Plus adviser support in schools across England to supplement careers advice and provide routes into work experience and apprenticeships.

The Enterprise Bill will help smaller businesses to contribute towards economic growth and to make it easier for them to create more local jobs, the Bill will introduce measures to reduce regulations on small businesses, thereby cutting the ‘red tape’.

The Education and Adoption Bill will escalate the Government’s academy programme which aims to speed up the intervention in failing or ‘coasting’ schools and will create the power to take over these schools and create more sponsored academies. Based on the latest Ofsted report, there are 90 schools in Norfolk that are currently in the second worse ‘requires improvement’ rating. The speech indicated that those schools with an ‘inadequate’ rating would usually become an academy.

Commenting on the Queen’s Speech, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:

“We welcome the Government’s focus on raising standards in schools, but businesses also rely on the education system to equip young people with the soft skills and attitude they need to successfully make the transition to work. The government could also help to generate a pipeline of young talent by ensuring that secondary schools are measured on pupil destination and earnings, by guaranteeing a business governor in every secondary school and ensuring that every student leaves school with high quality exposure to business.”

One of Norfolk Chamber’s key campaigns for the coming year is ‘Developing the Talent of Norfolk’s Young People’. This is something that the Chamber is passionate about and has been involved in for some time.

The support for schools on business/education was improving a few years ago, but I am sorry to say it has taken a large and disappointing leap backwards in recent years due to Government changes in policy. We are please dot see the Government addressing some of the issues surrounding schools and actively pushing apprenticeships, but more work needs to be done to bridge the gap between the world of education and work. The Chamber will continue to work with our education and business members to ensure that we work in partnership towards closing that gap.

Norfolk Chamber continues to lobby for infrastructure improvements

There were no major announcements within the Queen’s Speech last week for infrastructure projects in the UK, with the exception of the High Speed 2 (HS2) Bill. David Cameron’s introduction to the speech said: “This Queen’s Speech will bring every part of our United Kingdom together. Our legislation will make sure this recovery reaches everyone, from the oldest industrial towns to the remotest rural villages. Our High Speed 2 Bill will help bring our great northern cities together in a Northern Powerhouse that rivals the biggest cities in the world.”

Norfolk and the East of England have been major contributors to the ongoing economic recovery of UK plc and continue to strive to compete at a national and international level. However to do do this we need to improved infrastructure. Norfolk has historically lagged behind in terms of infrastructure and Norfolk Chamber and our members, from start ups to our large scale members have been lobbying hard for those improvements. In December last year the previous Coalition Government announced funding in the Autumn Statement to deliver improvements along the A47.

Improvements announced in Autumn Statement:

  • A47 North Tuddenham to Easton: dualling to provide continuous dual carriageway between Norwich and Dereham; combined with the Blofield to North Burlingham scheme, this will provide full dualling between Dereham and Acle.
  • A47 Blofield to North Burlingham: dualling to complete a gap in the dual carriageway between Norwich and Acle; combined with the North Tuddenham to Easton scheme this will provide full dualling between Dereham and Acle.
  • A47/A12 Great Yarmouth: junction improvements, including reconstruction of the Vauxhall roundabout.
  • Safety improvements at key hotspots and joint working with Natural England to establish environmental impacts and mitigation measures for the medium and long term which could include installation of safety barriers, junction improvements and road widening or capacity improvements.
  • A47/A11 Thickthorn junction: improvement of the interchange to give improved access to Norwich.

The Chamber’s ‘Business Plan for Norfolk’ highlights the need for improvements to Norfolk’s infrastructure to help further develop economic growth. Norfolk Chamber and our members continue to lobby hard to draw attention to Norfolk’s needs. We are members of the A47 Alliance; have heavily supported the rail improvement campaigns; and have been vocal in our support for the NDR. We are also calling for improved Broadband and mobile coverage, as well as driving down the costs of doing business i.e. reductions in red tape and regulatory burdens on Norfolk businesses.

Commenting on the Queen’s Speech, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:

“Businesses in Norfolk will continue to strive to deliver economic growth, but they need to have the confidence to invest in their organisations, both in terms of plant and machinery, as well as personnel. Norfolk’s continued economic recovery requires the Government to favour enterprise, wealth creation and growth and the Queens Speech indicated positive steps in towards these goals.

Norfolk Chamber would like to see the Government to follow through on the announcement’s made in the Autumn Statement last year and deliver the necessary funding for Norfolk’s infrastructure improvements, which will enable the Norfolk business community to create jobs and deliver economic growth and prosperity to our region.”

Are Norfolk SMEs ready for auto enrolement?

Monday (01 June 2015) is a milestone date for pension reforms. From this date, certain SMEs, with less than 30 staff will have to start to comply with the new work place pensions legislation and by April 2018 all SMEs will have to comply. Those who don’t comply, could face fines of up to £500 a day. In the UK this will affect 1.3 million employees.

There are 30,000 active businesses in Norfolk, with SMEs being the backbone of our economy. Collectively, these businesses employ hundreds of thousands of employees and all will eventually be affected by the pensions legislation.

There are different staging dates for SME employers to comply with the pensions legislation – the Pensions Regulator website has a step-by-step guide to help you, but click here to check when your compliance date comes into effect. Norfolk Chamber would also recommendthat one of the first steps that employers should take should be tospeak to their accountant or financial advisor or their existing pension provider.

In the UK at present there are around 10 million people eligible for auto enrolment and 5 million have already been enrolled. Currently, just 9% of savers are opting out, which highlights the fact that if it’s made simple and easy for people to save then, by and large, people will do so.

What is Automatic enrolment?

A portion of an employee’s wages is diverted to their pension fund, assuming they are aged between 22 – 65 and earning more than £10,000 a year. Employers are obliged to pay in as well, with the Government adding a further small sum through tax relief.

Initially, an employee will see a minimum of 0.8% of their earnings going to their workplace pension and tax relief will adds a further 0.2%. The employer is obliged to add a contribution of 1% of the worker’s earnings. This rises to a 5% contribution from the employee, 3% from the employer, and 1% in tax relief in October 2018. However there are concerns that these pension savings may not be sufficient to ensure a reasonable income at retirement.

New Research

New research, out today from ‘Now Pensions’, reveals that one in four (27%) of all businesses who need to comply haven’t yet given any thought as to how they will find a provider. Whilst this is an improvement on 2014 – when four in ten (44%) of SMEs hadn’t thought about it – it still means that almost 350,000 businesses are unprepared.

Now Pensions highlighted that firms can’t bury their heads in the sand over auto enrolment; yet more half (52%) who haven’t yet found a pension provider, don’t think there will be any issue finding one. However this may be easier said than done, as not all employees are an attractive prospect to pension providers – especially those on lower salaries – and providers may not be willing to accept all employers and all employees on equal terms. Less than one in ten (9%) of SMEs appreciate this reality and worry that providers might ‘cherry pick’ business.

They also noted that the complexity of the subject compounds the issue; a third (34%) of small firms don’t understand how auto enrolment contributions are calculated. Some companies – however – have at least given a bit of thought as to how they will go about finding a provider, with a quarter (26%) intending to seek help from their accountant; one in six (16%) saying the will rely on their existing scheme provider while one in eight (12%) will search the market and do the research themselves.

Norwich Economic Barometer – May 2015

Norwich City Council have today (28 May 2015) published their latest economic barometer:

  • The report highlights that UK borrowing fell to £7.4bn in March 2015, which takes the total for the financial year to £87.3bn. This is £11.1bn lower than last year’s total. UK inflation turned negative in April for the first time one record when it fell to -0.1% and GDP increased by 0.3% in the first quarter.
  • According to a survey by the property group LSL plc, the cost of renting a home rose by 4.6% in the year to the end of April, which is the fastest increase since November 2010. The average rent stands at £774 in England and Wales.
  • Construction leaders in East Anglia have said that home building and major infrastructure projects are back underway post-recession and they expect the sector to grow again this year – subject to resources and recruitment meeting the demand.
  • Proxama, a Norwich technology firm have recently announced that they are looking for a new head, as the founder and Chief Executive, Neil Garner is stepping aside to concentrate on developing new products for the business. Accountancy firm Ashton Shaw continued its expansion strategy by acquiring its Norwich-based competitor, Roger Hopkins.
  • The University of East Anglia retained its Top 20 position in the prestigious Complete University Guide 2016 and is ranked 16th.

To read the full report click here.

Chamber: Queen’s Speech is a step in the right direction for business

Giving her reaction to the Queen’s Speech, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:

“Businesses in Norfolk continue to strive to deliver economic growth. To do this they need to have the confidence to invest in their organisations both in terms of plant and machinery, as well as personnel. Norfolk’s continued economic recovery requires the Government to favour enterprise, wealth creation and growth and the Queen’s Speech indicated positive steps in towards these goals. We also need the Government to follow through on the announcement’s made in the Autumn Statement last year and deliver the necessary funding for Norfolk’s infrastructure improvements, which will enable the Norfolk business community to create jobs and deliver economic growth and prosperity to our region.”

Giving his reaction to the Queen’s Speech delivered today, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

“If the last Parliament was defined by austerity, this one should be defined by growth. And the government needs a confident, unapologetic programme to deliver that sustained growth. What we have seen in the Queen’s Speech is a positive start, and overall the message appears to be one of ambition, enterprise and growth for firms across the country.

“Businesses will welcome the government’s proposals to cut red tape, the move to more local decision-making and progress on an agenda which will see the UK reform its relationship with the EU before holding a referendum.

“While recognising that an incoming government cannot do everything at once, alongside these encouraging ideas, businesses will want to see the government seek to ease the housing crisis and tackle access to childcare in a sustainable way. Firms will also be concerned by the absence of any concrete measures to ensure young people are ready to make the transition from education to work and, crucially, measures to bring about a revolution in the UK’s export performance.”

Commenting on specific elements from within the Queen’s Speech, John Longworth said:

On the Enterprise Bill:

“Simplifying life for small or growing businesses should be an objective shared across the political spectrum. If properly targeted the government’s efforts to cut red tape for business could make a real difference – saving time and money. However, as much of the most costly regulatory burdens are created by the EU, cutting red tape will be a challenge.

“The government also has a role to play in helping to alleviate both the cause and effect of late payments. But, in order to truly change the culture of late payment, we need to see a concerted effort from businesses themselves.”

On the Trade Union Bill:

“Individuals and businesses depend on transport, education, and healthcare service, so the right to strike must only be exercised with the greatest restraint. Higher standards should apply when a strike puts people at risk or affects the ability of large numbers of their fellow citizens to earn a living, creating equity between the right to work and the right to withdraw labour. In the eyes of businesses, large and small, this legislation has merit, as it would help ensure essential services and the freedom to work in the event of strike action.”

On the EU Referendum and EU Finance Bills:

“Our research shows that British businesses want to remain in the EU, but a different EU, one which has been reformed. They want the Union to work better for them, now and in the future. The government must pursue a reform agenda that gets the single market working properly for UK businesses trading in Europe; addresses what it means for us to be part of the union, but not part of the monetary union; creates safeguards for non-Eurozone countries in EU decision-making; and ensures that the EU adopts a relentlessly pro-business, pro-growth agenda that minimises regulatory burdens.

“A referendum should be held as soon as is practicable to minimise further business uncertainty.”

On the Housing Bill:

“The housing shortage is a brake on business growth and employment in many parts of the UK. Yet the problem isn’t that we’re selling too few houses, it’s that we don’t build enough of them. Businesses would rather see the government focus their efforts on freeing up more land for much-needed housing, including, where necessary, on the green belt. An annual target of 200,000 new homes built by the private-sector should be central to the government’s housing ambitions.”

On the Childcare Bill:

“Expanded access to childcare is a win-win solution for employers and parents alike, enabling more talented individuals, should they wish, to stay in work. However, past commitments to raid pensions savings, even to pay for a business priority such as childcare, will dismay entrepreneurs, for whom long-term rewards are often more important than short-term pay. We hope the Government reconsider and move towards a more cost effective method of supporting working parents through a fiscally neutral Childcare Contribution Scheme, as outlined in the British Chambers of Commerce Business Manifesto.”

On the National Insurance Contributions/Finance Bill:

“Freezing income tax, along with some other major taxes for the next five years, would leave the government with little wiggle room, particularly if economic circumstances were to change. This has the hallmark of posturing, not planning.”

On devolution:

“Businesses across the UK broadly support the concept of further devolution of decision-making powers. Whether it’s devolution to the nations or within the nations of the UK, the transfer of powers must deliver greater efficiency and greater accountability at a local level, with businesses having a say in local economic development. If we get devolution to work for business, we will create sustainable growth and job creation for many years to come.”

On the Immigration Bill:

“The government is right to strike a balance between the legitimate concerns of communities regarding immigration and the vital needs of businesses and the broader economy. If we are to have wealth creation that benefits all and deliver long-term growth, then businesses must have access to the skills they need and sometimes that means drawing on talent from outside the UK, while at the same time maintaining stability and social cohesion. Immigration should be based on a points system, flexed according to economic need.

“But these proposals must go hand in hand with measures to equip young people with the skills they need to compete in a country with open borders and recognising the need for improvements in productivity. Not least, when youth unemployment is three times higher than the average, balancing these factors is the key to achieving long-term economic success and social cohesion.”

On the Education and Adoption Bill:

“It is welcome that the Government is focused on raising standards in schools, but businesses also rely on the education system to equip young people with the soft skills and attitude they need to successfully make the transition to work. The government can help to generate a pipeline of young talent by ensuring that secondary schools are measured on pupil destination and earnings, by guaranteeing a business governor in every secondary school and ensuring that every student leaves school with high quality exposure to business.”

On the High Speed Rail Bill:

“Britain desperately needs world-class infrastructure, including on the rail network. HS2 will deliver the step-change in capacity that Britain’s north-south railways need. Parliament must progress the HS2 Bill as swiftly as possible to ensure the benefits of the scheme are felt far and wide.”

Have your say on the Norfolk Economy

The British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) is used by the Bank of England, the Chancellor to plan the future of the UK economy, it is also closely watched by the International Monetary Fund.

Why should you complete the QES? – here’s why!

As a part of the accredited Chamber network, Norfolk Chamber needs your input to ensure that Norfolk has a clear voice on our local and national economy. You can have your say by completing the QES online NOW, which takes less than 3 minutes.

The completion deadline for this survey is Monday 15 June 2015.

Norfolk key findings in the Q1 2015 QES:

  • After strong increases recorded in Q4 2014, almost all the Norfolk balances for both manufacturing and services weakened in Q1.
  • In both sectors, a number of key Q1 balances are now lower than their pre-recession levels in 2007.
  • In Norfolk’s manufacturing, domestic balances were reduced; domestic sales (+12%, down from +13% in Q4 2014,) and domestic orders (+8%, down from +14% in Q4 2014).
  • In services, the domestic balances were mixed; domestic sales (+35%, down from +51% in Q4 2014) but domestic orders increased (+29%, up from +17%).
  • Most export balances weakened in Q1 2015; manufacturing export sales fell by 9 points to +21%, while service export sales fell considerably by 44 points to +16%.
  • Both manufacturing and services firms have lowered their investment intentions for training, as well as plant and machinery.

More results from previous quarterly economic surveyscan be seen by clicking here.

Click here to complete the Q2 2015 QES now.

Norwich City promotion is good for business

Securing promotion once again to the Premier League means that Norwich City Football Club not only benefits from a more secure financial position, but Norwich and Norfolk as a whole also profit from a higher national and international profile, which all helps to promote our excellent local businesses and provides a boost to our exporters.

The Norfolk business community is always very reactive to what is happening locally, this is especially true when Norwich City wins. When the team gets a good result, then the overall ‘feel good factor’ can be seen in boosted staff morale and increased productivity, which in turn contributes to further economic growth.

Norwich City Football Club’s promotion to the premier league firmly puts Norfolk back on the global stage and raises our visibility, which can only benefit the Norfolk business community.

Norfolk Businesses Bridge the Gap

On a beautiful sunny Thursday morning over 140 of the Norfolk business community joined us for a breakfast all about getting the most out of apprenticeships and the benefits they have to businesses, young people and the community.

Delegates started off with some networking and an exhibition full of training providers and knowledgeable businesses to provide them with the advice they need to get apprentices into their business.

It was then onto the speakers, Richard Nutt from National Apprenticeship Services started us off with a very informative speech on all the different aspects available around apprenticeships and the funding available. He also gave the delegates some tangible benefits relating to the recruitment of an apprentice, a copy of his slides can be found on our website. This was then followed by a short Q&A before a refreshment break where delegates took advantage of the networking time.

We then had an interview panel with Bernard Matthews and Reepham High School & College to talk about their successful joint working and how they have bridged the gap between the classroom and commerce, and how other businesses can plan to do the same. This led to a lively discussion on the causes behind the lack of take up from apprenticeships. Delegates were in agreement in the end that more education was needed for all including the general public on how important apprenticeships can be and the benefits of them as an alternative route to university.

We finished with another interview panel of businesses and apprentices who are actively involved and how apprentices have increased their knowledge, and employers benefited from practical engagement. This first-hand experience was widely accepted by the entire room. It was valid input from those who really are bridging the gap. This interview panel sparked yet another lively discussion on the calibre of young people that are choosing the apprenticeship root. The idea of ‘cheap labour’ was also discussed and the need replace this with the idea of training young people into the kind of employees your business really needs and could benefit from.

The event was a massive success with businesses getting a lot out of it including the relevant connections they need to take that next step in the apprenticeship path. Twitter was a hive of activity along with business sharing their ideas and tips.

To see photos of the event see our Facebook of Google+ pages.

Bank of England Summary – May 2015

The latest summary of business conditions from the Bank of England have highlighted:

  • Consumer services and retail sales turnover had risen moderately.
  • Housing market activity remained below that of a year earlier
  • Investment intentions for the next twelve months were consistent with moderate growth overall
  • Manufacturing output growth, both for the domestic market and for export, had edged lower
  • Construction output growth had continued to ease on a year earlier
  • Employment intentions had edged higher and were consistent with modest headcount growth overall.
  • Capacity utilisation had remained at broadly normal levels in manufacturing, but slightly above normal for services
  • Output prices had fallen on a year earlier for manufacturers, although they had risen moderately for business services firms
  • Profitability growth had edged higher for services, but had fallen for manufacturers
  • Consumer price inflation had remained negative for goods. Retail service prices had continued to increase modestly

For full details click here.

Leader re-elected at Norfolk County Council Annual Meeting

Cllr George Nobbs has been re-elected as Leader of Norfolk County Council following a meeting of Full Council at County Hall today (Monday 18 May).

Cllr Nobbs, who represents the Crome division in Norwich for Labour, was elected by42 votes to 39, with Liberal Democrat Cllr Dan Roper, of Hevingham and Spixworthelected as Deputy Leader without opposition.

Cllr Nobbs first became Leader of the Council in May 2013 following the County Council elections.

ThefollowingCommittee Chairswere also appointed at today’s Annual General Meeting of the council:

  • Adult Social Care Committee – Cllr Sue Whitaker (Labour) as Chair; CllrElizabeth Morgan(Green) as Vice Chair
  • Children’s Services Committee – Cllr James Joyce (Liberal Democrat) as Chairman; Cllr Emma Corlett (Lab) as Vice Chair
  • Communities Committee – Cllr Paul Smyth (UKIP) as Chairman; CllrRichard Bearman(Green) as Vice Chair
  • Environment, Development and Transport Committee – Cllr Toby Coke (UKIP) as Chairman; Cllr John Timewell (Liberal Democrat) as Vice Chair
  • Economic Development sub committee – Cllr Colleen Walker(Lab)will chair the committee with Cllr Jonathan Childs (UKIP) as Vice Chairman
  • Planning (Regulatory) – Cllr Alan Grey (UKIP) becomes Chairman
  • Cllr Brian Watkins (Lib Dem) replaces Cllr Dan Roper as Chairman of the Norfolk Health and Wellbeing Board
  • Cllr Nobbs and Cllr Dan Roper (Lib Dem)take theChair and Vice Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee

Cllr Rex Parkinson-Hare, who representsthe UKIP group for Yarmouth Nelson and Southtown ward, was elected as Chairman for the coming year with David Collis, who represents King’s Lynn North and Central for Labour becoming Vice Chairman.

Current political make-up at Norfolk County Council is as follows:

  • 40 Conservative
  • 14 Labour
  • 13 UKIP
  • 10 Liberal Democrat
  • 4 Green
  • 2 Independent
  • 1 non-aligned member

Great Yarmouth Core Strategy Modifications – have your say

The consultation on the proposed Modifications to the Core Strategy is now open for comment. The Great Yarmouth Borough Council is looking for any comments that you would like to make on the Main Modifications and the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal. The Inspector will then consider all comments made on the Main Modifications prior to issuing his final recommendations in the Inspector’s Report. The deadline for submitting your comments is: 5pm on Tuesday 23 June 2015.

Core Strategy Examination

The Borough Council submitted the Core Strategy to the Government in April 2014 and the Planning Inspector (Mr Malcolm Rivett) held an Examination in Public with hearing sessions between 25 and 27 November 2014. A number of changes to the Core Strategy are now being proposed, which reflect the discussions at the Hearing Sessions. These changes are known as Modifications and there are two types; Main and Additional. Main Modifications change a policy and are considered by the Inspector to be necessary to make the plan sound or legally compliant. Additional Modifications don’t change a policy and are generally factual updates and corrections. This consultation is on the Main Modifications only however, the Additional Modifications have also been published for reference.

This consultation is your chance to tell us whether the proposed Main Modifications are ‘legally compliant’ (meet the relevant legislation) and whether they are ‘sound’ (positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy). Comments on the proposed Main Modifications can only be accepted if they relate to soundness and legal compliance. Please note that comments on any other matter, such as the content of the Core Strategy, will not be accepted as this consultation is concerned with the Main Modifications only.

The easiest way to have your say is by using the online planning portal click on this link.

Viewing the consultation documents

The Modification Schedules, accompanying Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulations Assessment will be available to inspect at the Town Hall in Great Yarmouth, at all public libraries throughout the borough during normal opening hours and on the Council’s website at https://www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/strategic-planning/local-plan/cs-examin…