Andy Willox, FSB Policy Vice Chairman (Chair)
Roger Culcheth, FSB Local Government Policy Unit Chair
Roger started the session by outlining the current work that the FSB Local Government Policy Unit was involved with and the key policy areas they were seeking to influence. Local Government encompasses a wide variety of issues including:
- Local Area Agreements (LAAs) and Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs)
- Comprehensive Area Assessments
- Re-evaluations and business rate relief
- Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)
- Local Authority trading and licences
Recent projects have included the Local Government Elections Manifesto, FSB response to the Lyons inquiry, Local Democracy and Construction Bill and the Business Rates Relief Private Members Bill.
Attendees raised a variety of topical issues in the Q&A session including:
- New domestic business rates legislation and the repercussions of new rateable value of premises. Attendees were urged to check that the dimensions of their properties are listed as correct at the Valuation Office Agency. Attendees can look up their new assessment and compare it with the old.
- the importance of lobbying and targeting regional bodies in order to influence local Government issues; particularly when regional decisions can have important repercussions on local areas. It is important that the FSB has a voice and influences these regional quangos
- Concern around the fact that given the success of the FSB lobbying, regions and branches are bombarded from local and Regional Government for requests to respond to consultations and feed into inquiries. This demand is difficult to meet without further resources and more straightforward and simple consultation documents from government to save time for businesses.
- Guidance for regions and branches around getting involved in influencing local structures, for example, BIDs. Some members felt that the process was too reactive at the moment and that they need more local tools to be proactive in local lobbying
- The possibility of a forum to share good practice in engaging with local authorities in order to share experience