More support for local businesses called for
Cllr David Kendall has called on Brentwood Borough Council to give more support to local businesses and to designate an existing council officer specific responsibility for co-ordinating the Council's Economic action plan to help local residents and the business community during the current economic crisis.
His call came at last weeks Policy Board meeting, three months after he tabled the original motion . Cllr Kendall said he recognised that some positive steps had been taken by the Council to address issues relating to the credit crunch but he felt that far more work needed to be done if it was going to have a real impact on residents and local businesses.
He highlighted a number of specific issues he wanted the Borough Council to address which included:
- Listening to retailers' concerns about increasing car parking charges
- Making Brentwood a Business Improvement District
- Bringing down payment times to small businesses from twenty to ten days.
- Restating it's commitment to use local firms for it's supplies and services.
- Bringing forward planned capital investment
- Guaranteeing further funding to the CAB for an extra Debt Advisor
Cllr Kendall said:
"The Council should have someone co-ordinating it's Economic Action plan to ensure that we are sending out a coherent message to local residents and businesses at this difficult time.
"Whilst I welcome the steps that have already been taken far more could be done to introduce some specific measures that could make a real difference to local businesses including lower payment times and a commitment to using local firms.
"We also need to ensure that our local CAB office has the funding to provide the services most needed by our residents such as debt advice. Hopefully the administration will respond in a positive manner to the issues I have highlighted and we will see some progress".